Illusions of Control

Jonathan Goodhand, professor in conflict and development studies, SOAS University of London:
One of the defining features of today’s armed conflicts is the growing the role of proxy and irregular forces. This is an important and timely book, which traces the trajectory of U.S. engagement with non-state and substate forces in three major arenas of conflict. It reveals in forensic detail the tensions and trade-offs involved in supporting such groups while simultaneously attempting to control and restrain them. The book—based on meticulous empirical research—serves as a warning to the United States and others about the baleful legacies created by partnering with those who have blood on their hands for the sake of short-term security goals.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution:
For years, Gaston has been a leading fieldwork researcher on paramilitary groups, militias, local governance, and violent internal conflicts. Her impressive on-the-ground research in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond has often revealed crucial dynamics escaping established policy. Her excellent book masterfully challenges policy dogma, but does so with nuance, objectivity, and deep appreciation for regional variation.

Ariel I. Ahram, School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech:
This book is a grim but necessary autopsy of America’s policy failures. The United States believed it could manage the risks of recruiting militias as proxy forces in the Middle East. With intrepid field research, extensive interviews, and sharp analytical thinking, Gaston shows why these efforts often proved ineffective or counterproductive.

H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds:
Gaston provides a valuable perspective on the moral hazards and strategic pitfalls of partnerships forged in war. The author’s firsthand experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria allows her to go far beyond academic theory as she explores how working with militias and rebel groups without due attention to divergent interests can complicate war fighting, state building, and efforts to establish enduring peace and security.