Warlords and Democratization

There have been many changes to the national security strategy since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. One of the most important changes has been the role that the democratic peace theory plays in achieving global peace and prosperity. As a result of this change, U.S. strategies stopped trying to contain communism and sought ways to enlarge the community of democratic states. These new strategies included the objectives of stabilizing and rebuilding failed states, more commonly known as "nation building" and "democratization." As a result of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, national leaders reemphasized the importance of nation building and democratization, and linked the success of these missions directly to the national security of the United States.

However, recent U.S. experiences with democratization in failed states demonstrate the complex nature of these missions. Democratization strategies in these countries have been complicated by the existence of strongly armed factions and politically charged leaders known as "warlords." These warlords control many instruments of power and play a critical role in the ultimate objective of creating stable democratic government. This research studies warlords from a theoretical perspective and recommends that interventions adopt a strong approach with respect to warlords. Democratization strategies for a failed state should only proceed with the warlords and their violent factions removed from power. This paper then describes democratic transitions and the changeover from a realist strategy to an idealist strategy in order to consolidate democratic reforms.