ABSTRACT
The expression ‘rogue states’ is opaque in terms of its usage. Despite the fact that it has been used to name a band of states violating international norms, norms are violated not just among the failed or marginalized states in the international system, but among the great powers that ‘do not regard themselves as bound by international norms’ (Chomsky 2000: 1). The United States and like-minded states have often categorized North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Cuba, among others, as ‘rogue states’ for violating a multitude of international norms (Litwak 2000). By deploying such a derogatory term, these states aimed to draw a dividing line between a group of ‘rogue states’ and the rest of the world. This particular demarcation of a boundary is based on the belief that there exists a society of states which are largely bound together by shared norms, rules and institutions, while a gang of ‘rogue states’ exists outside the boundaries of this society.
