抄録
Television media accounts often report with disapproval that large amounts of arms are flowing into the Middle East and North Africa and falling into the hands of non-state armed groups. In fact, states such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States have supplied assault rifles, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and other kinds of weapons to Syrian rebel groups since the conflict began in Syria in 2011. Some of these arms have been diverted to a broader range of groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). But why, exactly, are arms transfers to non-state actors considered morally, ethically, or legally problematic? The problematization of arms transfers to non-state actors has changed significantly since the formation of the sovereign-state system. This article gives an overview of the shifts in international policy debates on arms transfers to non-state actors from the emergence of the sovereign-state system to the Cold War period. It then introduces how ‘the problem’ has been framed and defined from the 1990s onwards. The article argues that each framing of ‘the problem’ has reflected the predominant conception of statehood in each period. Finally, it outlines the current state of affairs and future prospects for international policy debates.
https://ror.org/02rqvrp93 
