Title: Thieves of State
Author: Sarah Chayes
ISBN: 978-0-393-23946-1
Publisher: Norton
Pages: 262
Photos/Maps: 0/7

Media and Government attention, traditionally and more notably during the last 15 years, has been focused upon the economics and operational tactics of identified terrorist groups and their supporters. A phenomenal amount of military and economic resource has been brought to bear in an effort to crush these organizations. Notably missing from the dialogue however, has been attention to those governments whose actions have instigated, enabled and facilitated these activities. Nor does it appear that there is a clear understanding of the direct link between the corrupt practices of national leadership and an appreciation of its impact upon the ability of fringe organizations to advance their causes. Chayes’s book sheds a blinding light upon the clear connection between these activities, their impact and western government’s reluctance to acknowledge them.

Starting with a discussion of the writings of Locke, Milton, Nizam al-Mulk, Luther and Machiavelli (to name but a few) she looks at the repeated acknowledgement of the responsibility of leaders to their people; the so called ‘Mirrors of Princes’ treaties. These were texts emphasizing the critical necessity of leadership to be accountable to the people whom they lead (and the potential impacts if they are not followed). This book is not however, a dry political analysis; Chayes draws upon her 10 years of work in Afghanistan as a reporter, an entrepreneur and a foreign policy adviser to the US military in order to draft an accessible and eminently readable discussion of the endemic corruption of the Karzai government and the response of the US political and military establishments.

Her approach is not jaundiced but balanced and telling, and her examination of the issues and of the impact that pervasive corruption has upon the ability of fringe elements to recruit and operate, extremely effective. The author has broken out her analysis into distinctive methods or techniques of corruption; each having in common a “bottom up flow” of monies. Those practicing systemic corruption she identifies as ‘Kleptocracies’ further breaking them down into sub-categories such as: Resource, Post-Soviet, Bureaucratic, Military-Kleptocratic Complex and Vertically Integrated Criminal Syndicates. Each type is explained in detail with examples and facts.

Additionally, Chaye discusses how populations, denied access to legitimate forms of redress due to corrupt officials and entities, are left with no option but revolt as a means of addressing their grievances. Thus, groups such as Boko Haram (the name means roughly Western Education is Forbidden), initially a fringe, self-sustaining community was driven into armed rebellion by the unethical practices of the Nigerian police and bureaucracy. Their name was derived from the fact that Nigerians know their civil service to be absolutely corrupt and also that to get a job within said civil service one has to have a western style degree from a university. Thus irrespective of the logic of their belief, they have equated the corruption with not only the system of government but also the education needed to work within that system. It is critical to the determination of effective responses to these groups that the root causes of their formation be acknowledged and addressed as part of the solution.

Recognizing this, Chaye provides a series of practical actions that governments may take in order to influence the behaviours of corrupt regimes. These multi-faceted approaches run the gambit from aid and financially based approaches to diplomatic and business focused tactics. Unavoidable within these methodologies is the necessity to work in tandem with other nations to ensure a common front.

While corruption is not the only element facilitating violence, it may certainly be grasped as a medium within which violent reaction amongst the people takes hold and flourishes. Chayes clearly illustrates that fighting fringe elements such as Al-Shabbab and Boko Haram is necessary, however, it is equally as critical to recognize these organizations as indicative of a much deeper malaise: corruption; to treat the symptoms without acknowledging the actual disease will never break the cycle. This book is vital to appreciating the scope and nature of corruption, the potential impact of not addressing it and also methodologies that may be exercised to counter it.
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