Why engage in proxy war? A state’s perspective

Commentary Daniel L. Byman Daniel L. Byman Director and Professor, Security Studies Program - Georgetown University, Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy May 21, 2018 8 min read Editor's note:States use proxies for many reasons, writes Dan Byman. For the United States, the issue is often cost: Locals fight, and die, so Americans do not have to. For many states, however, factors other than cost and fighting power come into plan. This piece originally appeared on Lawfare, and you can read his piece examining the same issues from the proxy’s perspective here.Aproxy waroccurs when a major power instigates or plays a major role in supporting and directing a party to a conflict but does only a small portion of the actual fighting itself. Proxy war stands in contrast not only to a traditional war—when a state shoulders the burden of its own defense (or offense)—but also an alliance, when major and minor powers work together with each making significant contributions a...