Foreign Military Interventions, Occupations, and Violent Extremism

This chapter examines the effects that international military interventions and foreign military occupations have on violent extremism with a particular focus on how interventions and occupations foster psychological processes associated with radicalization and patterns of political violence. The chapter begins by providing definitions for the key terms and then surveys the main strands of literature on how international interventions and foreign occupations may provoke violent extremist responses. In particular, the chapter discusses evidence that military interventions and occupations enhance grievances and feelings of national humiliation among affected populations, prompting them to support political violence. International military interventions and occupations can also foster violent extremism by facilitating othering of foreigners, by worsening human rights standards, and by producing a strategic environment conducive to political violence. The chapter also examines how interventions and occupations may foster vicarious radicalization outside of the intervened-in or occupied country, thereby increasing the threat of political violence globally. The discussion of the literature is expanded to acknowledge that certain studies in the literature depict a relationship of greater complexity or nuance. It discusses some key limitations in the literature on international military interventions, foreign occupations, and violent extremism. Finally, it concludes with implications for scholars and practitioners.