Dangerous Delegations: Examining State Sponsorship of Foreign Fighters

This thesis examines the question: ‘does state support for foreign fighters constitute an effective means of pursuing state interests?’ Using a comparative case study approach, four instances of foreign fighter mobilisation are considered. Each case demonstrates that foreign fighters receive various forms of state support, and that states provide this support to pursue their own interests while mitigating some of the costs and risks associated with direct engagement. Engaging with the proxy warfare and principal-agent analysis literature, this thesis determines that although a range of transaction costs may arise, sponsoring foreign fighters often proves to be an effective strategy.