Statsförfall – Transnationellt terroristskydd eller temporärt gömställe?

Sammanfattning: Many theories describe failed states as potential threats to international security due to the breeding ground they constitute for transnational terrorism. Ken Menkhaus believes however that transnational terrorists are dependent on a state for their own protection in order to be able to operate. This essay seeks out the relevance in Ken Menkhaus’ theory which states that transnational terrorists rather exploit corrupted states than operate in countries where there is a state collapse. His theory will be applied on a case study on post-Libya after Gadhafi’s fall. The study, which is a mixed method study, will separate and compare the three regions of Libya; Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan where different types of states have emerged since Gadhafi’s fall. The number of transnational terrorist attacks reported in documents and their cause-and-effect relationship will be analyzed. The results of the study indicate that the Menkhaus-theory is relevant when it comes to counting the attacks since terrorists operate where there is state presence. But when looking at the cause-and-effect relationship the results show that terrorist don’t need the protection of the state to operate, they work overtly to take over.