EXTREMISM, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND INTERVENTION: ABSTRACT

Extremism cuts across the political landscape: It has been prominent in the United States since its inception; Al-Qaeda was forged by the Wahabi sect in Saudi Arabia; proxy para-military organizations dominate Lebanon and Syria, where sovereignty is in doubt, and Boko Harem has roots in many African States. Time constraints don’t permit a historical or a philosophical disquisition dealing with the relationship between extremism, failed sovereignty, and foreign , intervention. But this much is clear: extremism flourishes where civil society is weak and a public sphere is lacking. The question for Western democracies is how to deal “fragile states” –like so many in the Middle East and Africa where the source of sovereignty remains unclear and human rights are at risk.