Non-State Armed Groups and Technology: The Humanitarian Tragedy at Our Doorstep?

Technological advances are altering the contemporary asymmetric conflicts between non-­‐state armed groups and state actors. This article discusses the humanitarian consequences of these changing conflicts by first illustrating the dangers posed by non-­‐state armed groups gaining access to advanced technologies. A subsequent examination of the increasing ability of non-­‐state armed groups to use new technologies, such as cyber operations, to mitigate state actor advantages and the resultant risks to civilian populations follows. The article concludes that the humanitarian challenges presented by this growing intimacy between non-­‐state armed groups and technology, whether through a potentially devastating attack or by the dramatic erosion to the principle of distinction, are immense and cannot be ignored