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Lecture: Splinter Groups as Non State Soldiers: the Case of IRA Splinter Groups MILS671: The Non State Soldier American Military University Martin Scott Catino, Ph.D.

Summary: Splinter groups, those associations of non state soldiers who refuse to follow their parent terrorist organizations and reform into units, take on unique characteristics of their own, which shape the battle space. These characteristics vary significantly but not without some general patterns that are important for analysis. Here are a few tendencies of splinter groups:
1. Splinter groups are formed often by rejection of (often vehemently) the peace process or

negotiation tactics used by their own terrorist group leaders, which occur as natural opportunities of successful operations over the course of time. The IRA splinter groups discussed in the article below are glaring examples. Western countries often court successful terrorist organizations by offering concessions and participation in the political process as a means to defang (demobilize, disarm, and reintegrate) non state soldiers. Certain members within these groups consider negotiations or participation with the status quo govt as betrayal of their cause and successes.
2. Splinter groups are also formed in part or whole by leadership conflicts. Do not minimize

this factor. Leadership conflicts among terrorist groups and non state soldiers are often so acute that no other reason is the main cause for splintering. The Taliban for instance are so rife with conflict, often bloody fighting, that analysts are amazed that their unity remains intact. Often these fights among the Taliban occur for no other reason than former Mujahedeen leaders fighting over past grievances, power, and control of resources in particular areas or among particular tribes.

3. Splinter groups seek to maintain relevance in the aftermath of cataclysmic changes in political climate or defeat. 4. Splinter groups seek to maintain low intensity conflict in order to maintain or control economic, political, and ideological areas. 5. Splinter groups seek to maintain access and control (and cultivation) of their support base, the discontented and disfranchised. 6. Splinter groups seek to increase or maintain capabilities for future activities and potential changes in the political climate. 7. Splinter groups tend to criminalize in order to gain access to funds. Cut from their mother group, and thus access to larger funding, these splinter groups often rely on criminal activities such as the drug trade extortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking as a means to support their cause. A secondary effect is often their political commitments and aims are compromised as money becomes the main objective rather than political aims. 8. Splinter groups become useful tools for terrorist and belligerent states, whose leadership gains can manipulate the cause, assets, and force for checking the activities of both state and non state actors. For instance, Saddam Hussein used the Abu Nidal organization, and provided sanctuary in return.