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Retaliation for Retaliation: Exploring the Cycle of Vengeance in Internal Conflicts

In the past half century, approximately two-thirds of civil wars have erupted in nations where traditional customs of honor and retaliation shape societal norms. Deeply ingrained in local communities, the ancient code of blood vengeance – seeking retribution for an offense by harming the...

Retaliation for Retaliation: Investigating the Intricate Relationship of Vengeance in Internal...
Retaliation for Retaliation: Investigating the Intricate Relationship of Vengeance in Internal Conflicts

Retaliation for Retaliation: Exploring the Cycle of Vengeance in Internal Conflicts

In the chaotic landscape of irregular conflicts, a centuries-old custom has proven to be a significant factor in shaping the operational environment. This custom, known as blood revenge, has been a persistent force in regions such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, perpetuating cycles of violence, fostering deep mistrust among communities, and complicating conflict resolution efforts.

Over the past fifty years, about two-thirds of all civil wars have occurred in countries where customary traditions of honor and retaliation regulate social life [1]. Evidence of its enduring presence emerges from the accounts of dozens of irregular conflicts, ranging from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria and Iraq, from Western Boyacá in Colombia to central India, from the Sudanese civil war to the ethnic conflict in Kosovo, down to the terrorism-hit territories of southern Philippines and Corsica.

The customary code of blood revenge, the practice of avenging an insult by retaliating against the initial culprit or his close kinsmen, has survived and thrived amid the chaos of warfare. In regions where state authority is often weak or contested, blood revenge becomes a central social mechanism for justice and honor. This custom promotes ongoing vendettas that can escalate minor incidents into protracted violence, undermining stabilization and peace processes.

In Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, traditional tribal codes such as Pashtunwali include blood revenge (known as badal) as an obligation to restore honor through reciprocal violence. This complicates reconciliation efforts, as the imperative of defending individual and collective honor makes a refusal to mobilize harder to imagine, with enormous repercussions for war efforts. When identifying the culprit is unfeasible, avengers may widen the pool of targets to include anyone tied to the preferred, yet unreachable victim.

Similarly, in Iraq and Syria, sectarian and tribal revenge killings have fueled complex sectarian strife and insurgencies. Insurgent actors have skillfully weaponized blood revenge against intervening forces in irregular warfare. Blood revenge can prevent fighters from demobilizing, as doing so condemns the fighters, along with their relatives, to becoming vulnerable targets of blood revenge attacks.

The study offering new insights into the role of blood revenge in shaping the operational environment during civil wars, including the US-led campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, was authored by Emil Aslan, a professor of security studies at the Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, David S. Siroky, a professor of politics in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, and Roberto Colombo, a doctoral researcher in Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow [2].

References:

[1] Aslan, E., Siroky, D. S., & Colombo, R. (2020). Blood Revenge and Irregular Conflict: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. Small Wars & Insurgencies, 31(5), 816-835.

[2] The authors of the study are Emil Aslan, a professor of security studies at the Institute of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague, David S. Siroky, a professor of politics in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, and Roberto Colombo, a doctoral researcher in Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow.

[3] The image credit for the article is Kurdishstruggle.

  1. In the context of civil wars, the customary practice of blood revenge has been a prominent factor, shaping the operational environment, as seen in several conflicts including Afghanistan and Iraq [1].
  2. According to a study by Emil Aslan, David S. Siroky, and Roberto Colombo, blood revenge is a significant factor in irregular warfare, promoting ongoing vendettas and undermining peace processes [2].
  3. In regions where state authority is weak, such as Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, traditional tribal codes like Pashtunwali that include blood revenge can complicate reconciliation efforts [1].
  4. In Iraq and Syria, sectarian and tribal revenge killings have fueled complex strife and insurgencies, with insurgent actors weaponizing blood revenge against intervening forces [1].

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