Two questions Flint brings forth:
After reading Flint’s account of Osama bin Laden’s 1998 statement in the London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi, how would you answer the following regarding al-Qaeda’s geopolitical code?
It is clear that it is not just state actors that have geopolitical codes, but other organized groups such as al-Qaeda do as well. However, Flint asks us to go a little bit deeper to really parse out who are today's geopolitical actors. He explains, “Insurgents would seem to be a case where a geopolitical code is a useful tool to identify whom they are fighting and cooperating with, through what means, and for what reasons. However, are pirates and organized crime syndicates just out to make money and hence not in need of the strategy and representations that are the content of a geopolitical code?”
What are your thoughts? Read the following Economist article to get a little bit of insight into Somali piracy to inform (at least partially) your analysis.
Further, what about non-state actors that are not necessarily violent? Can a social or environmental movement or organization have a geopolitical code?
Read pgs 3-4 and 6-7 of Green Peace International’s Annual Report 2013 [2]
Are you able to answer these questions for GPI?