Ungoverned Territories: Understanding and Reducing Terrorism Risks

Ungoverned territories-failed or failing states or ungoverned areas within otherwise viable states-generate a myriad of security problems and often become terrorist sanctuaries. Using a two-tiered framework applied to eight cases from around the globe, the authors illustrate the conditions that give rise to ungoverned territories, contributing to our understanding of what makes some ungoverned territories more conducive to a terrorist or insurgent presence than others. On the basis of this ground-breaking work, the authors identify three types of ungoverned territories and their effects on U.S. security interests, while presenting strategies designed to improve our ability to mitigate these effects.