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{{mergefrom|State violence}}
{{terrorism}}
'''State terrorism''' is violence against civilians perpetrated by a [[government|national government]] or [[proxy state]]. Whether a particular act is described as "[[terrorism]]" may depend on whether the [[International community]] considers the action justified or necessary, or whether the described terrorist act is carried out as part of an [[war|armed conflict]]. State terrorism, where applicable, may be directed toward the population of the state in question or towards the population of other states. Although attacks on non-combatant civilians may occur during a time of war, they are usually considered terrorism, especially if these are not attacks on the enemy's war fighting capacity (for example an industrial port). The terrorism may be carried out by the state's own forces, such as an [[army]], [[police]], state supported [[militia]]s, or other organisations, where it is more usually called ''state-sponsored terrorism''.
Care should be taken to differentiate ''state terrorism'' from acts of violence carried out by government agents which are not specified by government policy. A murder carried out by a policeman, for example, is not considered ''state terrorism'' unless the government sanctioned the action.{{Fact}}
==Confines and definition==
State terrorism, like ''terrorism'', is controversial and there is no generally accepted definition. Often acts that critics describe as terror, supporters defend as legitimate defense against perceived threats. Generally, the definition of terrorism does not extend to states in direct and open military conflict, if the actions of their armed forces are within the [[laws of war]].
Some terrorist groups assign military titles to their commands and combatants, for just this reason, to "legitimize" their violence.
The distinction between state and nonstate terror has been criticized as being morally relativist and as distracting from or justifying state terrorism perpetrated by "favored" states ([[Noam Chomsky|Chomsky]] and [[Edward S. Herman|Herman]], [[1979]]). Some, such as [[Spain|Spanish]] judge [[Baltasar Garzón]], view particular [[political system]]s as instances of state terrorism: "''State terrorism is a political system whose rule of recognition permits and/or imposes a clandestine, unpredictable, and diffuse application, even regarding clearly innocent people, of coercive means prohibited by the proclaimed judicial ordinance''." It is obvious, that virtually any police or military action could be marked as the ''State Terrorism'', according the definition. It depends on Point Of View only. Some acts of state terrorism also qualify as [[genocide]], [[crime against humanity|crimes against humanity]] or [[mass murder]].
==Methods of state terror==
[[Kangaroo court]]s, [[torture]], [[terror bombing]], [[kidnapping]], and [[extrajudicial execution]] are said to be common practices of state terror, often used to terrorize domestic and foreign populations by sovereign or proxy regimes.
Citizens of [[Western world|Western nations]] are generally protected from unfair trial by [[constitution]]al or legislative safeguards and the requirements of [[due process]], although recently in the United States, [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] intervention was required to uphold such safeguards, as in the [[2004]] case of [[Hamdi v. Rumsfeld]]. Undeveloped nations may have weaker institutions and unstable political climates that allow governments to have greater influence over the judiciary than in wealthier nations, allowing dissenters to be victimized as criminals.
According to [[Amnesty International]] ([[1997]]), in [[1996]], out of 150 countries surveyed, 82 had participated in [[torture]].
===Extrajudicial execution===
Extrajudicial execution, or political murder, takes place when state agents kill citizens who are viewed as threats, or to intimidate communities. Extrajudicial execution may be carried out by the official military, police forces, or unofficial but sanctioned [[paramilitary|paramilitaries]] (often called "[[death squad]]s" or euphemized as "civilian defence"). In the latter case, there may be strong ties between the paramilitaries and official forces, with an overlapping membership and/or a "blind eye" turned to illegal activities.
''See also: [[Janjaweed]]''
Such death squads often unpredictably attack the socially disadvantaged ("undesirables"), religious or ethnic minorities, or citizens deemed to be subversive. Their targets typically include the [[homeless]], [[street child]]ren, [[trade union|union]] leaders, [[indigenous people]]s, [[clergy]], [[activist]]s, [[journalist]]s, and [[academic]]s. Death squads conveniently shield their sponsors from liability, the illusion of spontaneous criminal violence providing plausible [[deniability]]. Often, the bodies of victims are secretly disposed, typically in [[mass grave]]s, leaving no evidence of a crime and increasing the [[trauma]] to families and communities. These cases are known as "[[forced disappearance]]s", and take place particularly in [[South America]]. The ''UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances'' was formed in [[1980]] to investigate the global phenomenon of unexplained disappearances.
''See also: [[Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia]]''
==Acts labelled as state terrorism, sorted by state==
===Albania===
[[Enver Hoxha]]'s dictatorship was one of the most oppressive and [[isolationist]] in the world. [[Religious]] practice was prohibited through imprisonment, and no political dissent was allowed. It has been estimated that up to one third of [[Albanians]] were interrogated by his regime's [[secret police]] at one time or another.
===Argentina===
The "[[Dirty War]]" in [[Argentina]] in the [[1970s]] is a classic example of the use of terror tactics employed by a state against its own people. In [[1976]], the [[Military of Argentina|Argentine military]] overthrew the government of [[Isabel Peron]] and undertook a campaign against all people labeled as [[subversive]]s, who were thought to form the social base for a violent leftist [[insurgency]]. Estimates of the number of people "[[disappeared]]" and presumed dead range from 6,000 to over 30,000. A [[1984]] official report following the return to democracy put the total at near 11,000. The [[junta]] used tactics inspired by the French experience fighting in [[Algeria]], receiving some training from French ex-military. The [[Secretaría de Inteligencia|SIDE]] (''Secretaría de Inteligencia de Estado'') and infamous [[Servicio de Inteligencia del Ejército (Argentina)|Batallón 601]] were involved in many human-rights violations, participating in [[operation Condor]]. Some allege that the [[U.S. Government]] was involved by through training programs at the former [[School of the Americas]]<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382016/ The French army was very influential in how modern suppression of independence movements has been and is carried out] This documentary reveals why.</ref>, although relations between the two countries were cool during the period due to the [[Carter administration]]'s criticisms of the regime's [[human rights]] record. However, [[John Negroponte]], U.S. ambassador to [[Honduras]] at the time, is known to have had supported the Argentinian army with training for paramilitaries.
Tactics included [[Death squads]], [[Forced disappearance]], [[Torture]], [[Child stealing]], and [[Ideological persecution]].
===Brazil===
''See [[History of Brazil (1964-1985)|Military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985)]]''
===Bulgaria===
Implicated in the assassination attempt of [[Pope John Paul II]]
===Burma===
The ruling [[junta]] of [[Burma]] has repeatedly engaged in activities to suppress [[democracy|democratic]] movements within the country. Many of the junta's opponents, such as [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], believe the goal of some of these is to terrorize the population into compliance.
''See also: [[August 8, 1998 Burma protest]]''
===Cambodia===
During the rule of the [[Khmer Rouge]], about 1.7 million people were killed, or one-fifth of the country's population of the time. The [[Killing Fields]] and the [[Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum|Tuol Sleng]] prison, also known as S-21, shocked the entire world as the government committed brutal [[autogenocide]]. In addition to death from work, starvation and exhaustion, the regime killed anyone suspected with connections with either the defeated Khmer Republic government or the previous Sihanouk government, as well as intellectuals ([[Pol Pot]] defined anyone who wore glasses as automatically an intellectual), professionals, and also ethnic [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], [[Chinese race|Chinese]], [[Chams]], [[Laotian]]s, and [[Thai (ethnic group)|Thai]]. If this wasn't enough, Cambodia broke into [[Vietnam]]ese, [[Laos|Lao]], and [[Thailand|Thai]] territories and massacred entire villages of noncombatants in border provinces.
===Chile===
[[Chile]], under the [[dictatorship]] of [[Augusto Pinochet]], pursued an extensive policy regarded by many as state terrorism against both civilians at home and perceived enemies abroad. On the international stage, the Chilean state's actions included the assassination of former ambassador [[Orlando Letelier]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], by means of a [[car bomb]], the killing of General [[Carlos Prats]] in [[Argentina]] in similar circumstances, and the attempted assassination of [[Bernardo Leighton]] in [[Italy]]: all exiles were stalked by [[DINA]] agents cooperating with [[SIDE]] Argentinian intelligence agency, other South American services, and far-right terrorists such as [[Stefano Delle Chiaie]], in [[Operation Condor]]. In [[1990]] the Chilean president [[Patricio Aylwin]] created a commission to investigate the illegal killings carried out under the Pinochet dictatorship, 2,920 cases were reported to the commission. His report was delivered in [[1991]] and it is known as the [[Rettig Report]]<ref>[http://www.ua.es/up/pinochet/documentos/docs-especiales.html ex-dictador Augusto Pinochet] In Spanish.</ref>, after his chairman, Mr. Raul Rettig. In [[2003]] President [[Ricardo Lagos]] established the [[Valech Report|National Commission Over Political Prison and Torture]] presided by Bishop Sergio Valech, oriented to develop a rigorous survey of persons that have suffered political prison or torture under the dictatorship of General [[Augusto Pinochet]]. Known as the "[[Valech Report]]", it was delivered to the President on [[November 10]], [[2004]] and includes the declarations of 35,868 victims.
===China===
Under the leadership of [[Mao Zedong]] (1893-1976), his rule was considered by many as state terrorism. The exact number of victims under the rule of Mao Zedong is uncertain, but estimates vary from 40 to 80 million, mostly from the [[Chinese Civil War]] and the [[Cultural Revolution]]. Also [[Chiang Kai-shek]] (1928-49) can be noted for his dictatorial rule and state terrorism.
The government of the [[People's Republic of China]] has repeatedly engaged in behavior considered to violate international standards of [[human right]]s. Some of these are also considered by many as acts of state terrorism, such as the suppression of the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]].
Among groups currently actively suppressed by [[China]] are the [[Uyghur]] and [[Tibet]]an independence movements and followers of [[Falun Gong]], a controversial spiritual movement defined by the government as a [[cult]]. Some of these actions, such as mass imprisonment, detention without a trial, police violence against nonviolent demonstrators, and [[Chinese torture|torture]], would be classified by some as state terrorism.
===Colombia===
The Colombian state itself is usually directly blamed by critics for about 5% of the annual political killings in Colombia's [[civil war|civil conflict |]]<ref name="hrw_factsheet" />. The rebel groups themselves (and/or those that may sympathize with their goals and/or methods) may label the Colombian state as "terrorist", and vice versa, while international organizations, such as the [[United Nations]] or [[Human Rights Watch]], for the most part, do not apply the term to either party as a whole, though specific acts and individuals might qualify as such.
In recent years, some civilian critics, in addition to the [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia|FARC]] and [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)|ELN]] (blamed for an estimated 15 to 25% of yearly political killings), have criticized the Colombian government's policies, including, but not limited to, those of Colombian president [[Álvaro Uribe]], considering that some measures, such as the use of temporary mass roundups (where many of the detainees are later released) and the attempted implementation of an anti-terror statute, can be seen as signs of alleged state repression. (The anti-terror statute was shot down in late August [[2004]] by the Colombian Constitutional Court due to a procedure error<ref>[http://indh.pnud.org.co/articuloImprimir.plx?id=187&t=informePrensa Corte Constitucional declara inexequible Acto Legislativo de Estatuto Antiterrorista] In Spanish.</ref>. The Court has also previously struck down other security measures it considered as unconstitutional.)
[[Colombia]]n paramilitary groups, such as the [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia|AUC]], have usually been considered responsible for as many as 70 to 80% of identifiable yearly political killings in the South American country's internal conflict<ref name="hrw_factsheet">[http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/colombia/action/factsheet.htm Human Rights Watch:colombia factsheet]</ref>. It has been argued on many occasions that some of these groups have maintained well documented relationships with several elements of the official state and police forces. The paramilitaries have often been accused of making and executing death threats against suspected [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] collaborators among the civilian population. They are blamed for many of the murders of a number of the poor and the homeless, as well as street children and others allegedly considered social undesirables, has also been assigned to them, though most of these crimes remain unresolved.
===Cuba===
Under the leadership of [[Fidel Castro]], [[Cuba]] has been accused by human rights organizations in the world of [[Human rights in Cuba|various abuses of human rights]]. These allegations include extrajudicial killings, political imprisonment, and coercion of its population through control of basic resources. Cuba, through its intelligence agency the [[DGI]], has also directly and indirectly supported violent revolutionary groups in Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean.
===El Salvador===
During the [[civil war]] (1980-1992), security forces and [[death squads]] frequently collaborated, most notably in the murder of Archbishop [[Oscar Romero]] in 1980.
===France===
{{main|Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior}}
In [[1985]], the [[Greenpeace]] ship, [[Rainbow Warrior]], had travelled to [[New Zealand]] to lead a flotilla of [[yacht]]s protesting against [[France|French]] [[nuclear test]]ing at [[Mururoa Atoll]] in the [[Tuamotu Archipelago]] of [[French Polynesia]]. The ship was sunk just before midnight on [[July 10]] [[1985]] by two explosive devices attached to the hull by operatives of [[France|French]] intelligence ([[Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure|DGSE]]). Of the twelve people on board, one, [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[photographer]] Fernando Pereira, was killed by the second device when he attempted to retrieve his equipment. Two of the French agents were caught and jailed, but were returned to France soon after. It is the only terrorist act committed in [[History of New Zealand|New Zealand's modern history]].
Numerous actions of the French government and military forces during the [[Algerian War of Independence]] in the late 1950s, when Algeria fought France, of which it was then a dependency, for independence, have been alleged as human rights violations. The Algerian war is considered by many to be a significant "black eye" in French history. Some hold that the [[Indochina War]] (1949-1954) has similar implications. French former militaries have been known to train [[Argentine]] military forces during the "[[Dirty War]]" and [[Operation Condor]].
The [[Reign of Terror]] (June [[1793]] – July [[1794]]), a period in the [[French Revolution]] characterized by brutal repression, was an early example of state terrorism in France. ''The Terror'' originated with a centralized political regime that suspended most of the [[democracy|democratic]] achievements of the Revolution, and intended to pursue the Revolution on social matters. Its stated aim was to destroy internal enemies and conspirators and to chase the external enemies from [[France|French]] territory. As one of the earliest instances of terrorism sponsored by the State's legal and administrative apparatus, many following instances of mass-execution were referred to by a similar name, e.g. the [[Red Terror]], and because of its scale remained the most notable instance of violent government repression until it was overshadowed by the events of the twentieth century.
===Germany===
{{main|Holocaust}}
During [[Adolf Hitler]]'s rule of Germany ([[1933]]-[[1945]]) the SS played a key role in building a system of state terror. It controlled the [[Gestapo]], and was responsible for the persecution of dissidents, [[Jew]]s and other races, brutalities and killings in [[concentration camp]]s, excesses in the administration of occupied territories, the administration of the [[slave labor]] program and the maltreatment and murder of [[prisoners of war]]. Terror bombings and missile strikes in London targeting noncombatants during [[WWII]] are other examples of Nazi terrorism.
During the [[1950s]] in [[East Germany]], labor revolts and [[labor strike]]s were often put down with what most would consider hugely disproportionate force, the goal likely being to terrorize workers into conforming behavior. Also, East Germany provided assistance to the [[Red Army Faction]], a [[West Germany|West German]] militant organization. Also East Germany built the [[Berlin wall]] and openly killed many who tried to escape.
===Greece===
{{main|Greek military junta of 1967-1974}}
===Guatemala===
During the dictatorship of [[Efraín Ríos Montt]] (1982-83), several massacres of indigenous people and guerrilla fighters took place. A particularly notorious example was the [[Plan de Sánchez massacre]]. Evidence of these kinds of abuses can be found in the works of people such as [[Nobel]] winner [[Rigoberta Menchú]].
===India===
{{main|Terrorism in India}}
The actions by [[Military of India|Indian security force]]s against members of some [[secessionist]] movements are labeled as state terrorism by certain human rights organizations. These alleged actions include [[extrajudicial]] [[executions]] and the killing of innocent civilians during military operations in parts of India like [[Kashmir]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] and [[Assam]].
On [[December 21]], [[2005]], a video surfaced showing police officers, male and female, [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051221/od_nm/india_dating_dc;_ylt=AqgbapKagdrPoNb8_8sowoQZ.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA4cmUwbnA1BHNlYwMxNzAy beating and dragging men and women] in [[Meerut]] city in the province of [[Uttar Pradesh]]. The brutality is part of [[Operation Romeo]], which specifically targets citizens suspected of dating. The police who were shown in the video claim they were "preventing sexual harassment of women." Students in Meerut have taken to the streets in protest, chanting "Down with police dictatorship" and burning effigies of police officers. Two police officers have been suspended. Police often force daters to bribe them or face incarceration.
===Indonesia===
The massacres of members of the [[Communist Party of Indonesia]] (PKI) from [[1965]] - [[1969]] are estimated to have claimed the lives of up to a million people and have been described as "anti-communist programs". The official minimum number of deaths is 500,000.
The [[Indonesia]]n government has repeatedly used state sponsored terrorism as a method of controlling and oppressing several minority groups under its rule. They are [[Aceh]] ([[Sumatra]]), [[East Timor]] and West [[Papua]] (Irian Jaya).
===Iran===
[[Iran]] under the last [[Shah]], [[Mohammed Reza Pahlavi]], was notorious for state terrorism, principally through its secret police, the [[SAVAK]], which had practically unlimited powers of torture and arbitrary arrest.
After the toppling of the Shah in 1979, revolutionary Iran sponsored several terrorist organizations through aid and training. The revolutionary government also "tolerated" a student militia taking over the U.S. Embassy and holding the diplomatic staff hostage for over a year. Iran continues to fund organizations such as [[Hamas]], [[Islamic Jihad]], and [[PFLP-GC]]; as well as providing "financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid" to [[Hizbullah]] and the [[Kurdistan Workers Party]]<ref>[http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2002/ 2002 Patterns of Global Terrorism] U.S. Department of State. This reference needs to be refined to drill down on the correct page to support Iran allegations.</ref>.
In 1992, the [[Mykonos restaurant assassinations]] in [[Berlin]] were carried out on the orders and with the knowledge of the highest layer of the Iranian leadership.
===Iraq===
[[Iraq]] under [[Saddam Hussein]] is widely believed to have been responsible for numerous [[chemical weapon]]s attacks on its own civilian population to stem [[revolution]]ary activity during the [[Gulf War]] and pacify [[ethnic]] groups. One of the more famous incidents is the controversial [[Halabja poison gas attack]]. Iraq also attempted to terrorize the population of Israel (a noncombatant), during the Gulf War, with [[Scud missile]]s.
''See also: [[Human rights situation in Saddam's Iraq]]'' and ''[[Human rights in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq]].'' See also M. Ismail Marcinkowski, ''Religion and Politics in Iraq. Shiite Clerics between Quietism and Resistance'', with a foreword by Professor Hamid Algar of the University of California at Berkeley. Singapore: Pustaka Nasional, 2004 (ISBN 9971775131)
===Israel===
During the [[al-Aqsa Intifada]], [[Israel]] engaged in tactics and controversial military operations that resulted in criticism of its policies and actions. According to Dr. Lev Grinberg, a political [[sociologist]] at [[Ben Gurion University]], Israel's actions constituted state terrorism<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0401-04.htm Israel's State Terrorism] by Lev Grinberg in [[Tikkun]] Magazine [[April 1]], [[2002]]</ref>. [[Turkey|Turkish]] prime minister [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] and [[CNN]] founder [[Ted Turner]] have also referred to some of the acts as examples of state terrorism.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3772609.stm Turkey slams 'Israeli terrorism'] [[BBC]] [[3 June]], [[2004]]</ref><ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,739466,00.html CNN chief accuses Israel of terror] by Oliver Burkeman in New York and Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem [[June 18]], [[2002]] for [[The Guardian]]</ref>
In a [[July 29]], [[2005]] interview in the [[Nazareth]]-based [[Israeli Arab|Arab-Israeli]] newspaper ''Kul al-Arab'', former Israeli [[Minister of Education]] Shulamit Aloni stated that "terror utilized by Israel in the [[Palestinian territories|territories]] is worse than [[Palestinian terrorism]]"<ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3119885,00.html Israeli terror is worse] by Roee Nahmias for [[The Arab-Israeli]] [[29 July]] [[2005]].</ref>. Military operations into Palestinian territory, the alleged harassment of Palestinian civilians by both military personnel and Israeli citizens, and the deaths of civilians during the [[assassination]] of [[Arab]] militant leaders have also resulted in human-rights criticism. For example, in 1982, an assassination attempt on [[Yasser Arafat]] killed 200 people when a Beirut apartment block was destroyed by an Israeli bomb, and in 1985, 73 people were killed in another assassination attempt on Arafat in [[Tunis]]. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4007159.stm Arafat: End of a charmed life] BBC [[12 November]], [[2004]]</ref>.
===Italy===
{{main articles|[[strategy of tension]] and [[Gladio]]}}
The relationship between the [[Italy|Italian]] state security forces and neo-fascist paramilitary groups could be regarded as crossing over into state terrorism. The [[strategy of tension]] begun in the late 1960s to counter the perceived threat of communist groups involved collusion and provocation culminating in the [[1980]] [[Bologna massacre|bombing of Bologna railway station]]. The 85 deaths were immediately blamed by the government on [[Red Brigades|left-wing terrorists]] but the bombing appears to have been the work of neo-fascists. The exact level of collusion remains unknown but in 1995, two [[SISMI|intelligence agents]] were among people sentenced for investigation diversion.
===Japan===
{{main articles|[[Japanese war crimes]]}}
During the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and [[World War II]], [[Unit 100]], [[Unit 516]] and [[Unit 731]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]], tested [[biological weapons]] on Chinese civilians in Manchuria. This resulted in the death of thousands of civilians and noncombatants. Also, 300,000 civilians were mass murdered in the [[Nanking Massacre]].
===Libya===
The Libyan intelligence service was exposed as responsible for the [[1988]] bombing of [[Pan Am flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie]], [[Scotland]]; UN sanctions were imposed in 1992. [[UN Security Council]] resolutions (UNSCRs) passed in [[1992]] and [[1993]] obliged Libya to fulfill requirements related to the Pan Am 103 bombing before sanctions could be lifted, leading to Libya's political and economic isolation for most of the [[1990s]]. The UN sanctions cut airline connections with the outer world, reduced diplomatic representation and prohibited the sale of military equipment. Oil-related sanctions were assessed by some as equally significant for their exceptions: thus sanctions froze Libya's foreign assets (but excluded revenue from oil and natural gas and agricultural commodities) and banned the sale to Libya of refinery or pipeline equipment (but excluded oil ''production'' equipment).
Under the sanctions Libya's refining capacity eroded. Libya's role on the international stage grew less provokative after UN sanctions were imposed. In [[1999]], Libya fulfilled one of the UNSCR requirements by surrendering two Libyans suspected in connection with the bombing for trial before a Scottish court in the [[Netherlands]]. One of these suspects, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, was found guilty; the other was acquitted. UN sanctions against Libya were subsequently suspended. The full lifting of the sanctions, contingent on Libya's compliance with the remaining UNSCRs, including acceptance of responsibility for the actions of its officials and payment of appropriate compensation, was passed [[12 September]] [[2003]], explicitly linked to the release of up to $2.7 billion in Libyan funds to the families of the 1988 attack's 270 victims.
The [[1986 Berlin discotheque bombing]] was carried out on orders of Libyan Intelligence services.
===Mexico===
It is claimed that during the [[1970s]] [[Mexico|Mexican]] security authorities employed [[torture]] and [[assassination]] against guerrilla members, student protesters and their sympathizers. Since the mid to late [[1990s]] illegal [[paramilitary]] groups have clashed with the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|EZLN]] in the [[Chiapas]] region, and acted against their supporters, leading to several massacres and forced displacements of civilians. Critics claim that some of these violent actions occurred with local military and police tolerance or cooperation.<ref>[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/03/04/mexico7933.htm Help Mexico Put 'Dirty War' to Rest] by Daniel Wilkinson in [[Los Angeles Times]] [[March 4]], [[2004]]</ref><ref>[http://hrw.org/wr2k3/americas8.html Word Report 2003: Americas: Mexico] by [[Human Rights Watch]] published [[2004]]</ref><ref>[http://www.hrw.org/wr2k/americas-07.htm World Report 1999: MEXICO: Human Rights Developments] by ''Human Rights Watch'' published [[1999]]</ref><ref>[http://www.hrw.org/spanish/opiniones/1998/mexico_acteal.html La matanza de Acteal, reflejo de violencia y la impunidad que aún perduran en México] by Joel Solomon "An Opinion" in ''Human Rights Watch'' published [[22 February]][[1998]] In Spanish</ref>
=== Morocco ===
{{Main|Years of Lead}}
===Myanmar===
{{See|August 8, 1998 Burma protest}}
The ruling [[junta]] of [[Myanmar]] has repeatedly engaged in activities to suppress [[democracy|democratic]] movements within the country. Many of the junta's opponents, such as [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], believe the goal of some of these is to terrorize the population into compliance.
===Nigeria===
[[Sani Abacha]]'s dictatorship in the early 1990s was notorious for its high levels of repression, most notably in the kangaroo court that led to the execution of activist [[Ken Saro Wiwa]] in 1995.
===North Korea===
North Korea has sponsored numerous acts of terror against South Korea since its founding [http://www.fas.org/man/crs/RL30004.pdf].
In the 1980s [[North Korea]] was linked to two international terrorist attacks. In the [[Rangoon bombing]] of October 1983, North Korean agents were responsible for an attempt on the life of South Korean President [[Chun Doo Hwan]] at Burma's National Cemetery in [[Yangon|Rangoon]], [[Myanmar|Burma]] which killed 17 South Korean officials including the South Korean foreign minister and ambassador to Burma as well as four Burmese. President Chun arrived at the cemetery behind schedule and was unharmed. The Burmese government later apprehended the North Korean agents responsible, who confessed. North Korea is also believed to be responsible for the bombing of [[Korean Air Flight 858]] on November 29, 1987 over the [[Andaman Sea]] in which all 115 passengers and crew were killed. That attack is thought to have been devised to scare tourists away from visiting the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] in [[Seoul]] after North Korea was not asked to co-host the events [http://www.slate.com/?id=2082385].
===Pakistan===
{{main|Terrorism in Pakistan}}
The [[East Pakistan]] crisis of the early [[1970s]] and [[West Pakistan]]'s military involvement in killings ([[Operation Searchlight]]) of East Pakistanis during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]] have given it the label of an act of state terrorism in certain cases. Pakistan is also believed to have provided direct support to other terrorist groups in the past.
===Romania===
[[Romania]] under [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]] (1965-1989) was highly repressed, and the regime's mistreatment of [[gays]], the [[mentally ill]] and orphaned children was especially notable.
===Rwanda===
The [[Rwandan genocide]] in 1994 by the [[Hutu]] army against [[Tutsis]] was an egregious example of state terrorism.
===Saudi Arabia===
[[Saudi Arabia]] is accused by many human rights groups of serious violations - principally through its strict version of [[Sharia law]], its repression of women, its executions of gays and its intolerance of religious or political dissent. The [[Mutaween]] ([[Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice]]) are frequently cited as being principal violators. A notorious incident attributed to the Saudi mutaween occurred on March 11, 2002 when they prevented schoolgirls from escaping a burning school in [[Mecca]], because the girls were not wearing headscarves and [[abayas]] (black robes). Fifteen girls died and 50 were injured as a result. There was widespread public criticism afterwards, both internationally and within Saudi Arabia itself.
===Serbia===
[[Serbia]] provided the financial backing for the [[Black Hand]] in the early 1900's. The [[Black Hand]] was responsible for the assassination of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]] on [[June 28, 1914]]. The assassination triggered the aggression that started [[The First World War]].
In the 1990s, Serbia directly or indirectly supported military operations in [[Bosnia]] and [[Kosovo]], which led to thousands of people being displaced and killed. In the case of the former, the [[Srebenica]] and [[Zepa]] massacres were especially notorious. [[NATO]] bombing of [[Belgrade]] largely halted Serb actions in the case of the latter.
===South Africa===
During the [[History of South Africa in the apartheid era|apartheid]] era, [[South Africa]] was suspected of involvement in a series of terrorist incidents. According to information revealed in 1998 by Archbishop [[Desmond Tutu]], Chairman of the [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] (TRC), South African agents were implicated in the 1961 aircrash in [[Zambia]] which killed UN Secretary-General [[Dag Hammarskjöld]]. The State Security Council, the Directorate of Military Intelligence and other organs of state terrorism such as the Civil Co-operation Bureau, Operation Longreach and [[Koevoet]] were variously alleged to have been involved in:
*the 1982 burglary of the [[Pan Africanist Congress|PAC]] office in [[London]]
*the 1982 bombing of the [[African National Congress|ANC]] office in London
*the 1982 assassination of anti-apartheid activist [[Ruth First]] in [[Mozambique]]
*the 1984 assassination of the wife and daughter of anti-apartheid activist Marius Schoon in [[Angola]]
*the 1986 assassination of Sweden's prime minister [[Olof Palme]] in [[Stockholm]]
*the 1986 bombing of the ANC office in Stockholm
*the 1986 aircrash in which President [[Samora Machel]] of Mozambique was killed
*the 1987 thwarted plan to kidnap the ANC leadership in London
*the 1988 assassination of the ANC's Paris representative [[Dulcie September]]
*the 1988 aircrash of [[Pan Am Flight 103]] in which 270 people were killed, including UN Commissioner for Namibia [[Bernt Carlsson]]
*de-stabilization of neighboring states
South African "superspy" [[Craig Williamson]] admitted responsibility for three of the above incidents and was given immunity from prosecution by being granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
===Soviet Union===
Under the reign of [[Josef Stalin]] (and, to a lesser extent, under several other Soviet leaders), political opponents of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] regime, as well as perceived "enemies of the people", were subject to incarceration under life-threatening circumstances and execution. Stalin was able to cement his hold on power by intimidating and executing his political opponents, real and imagined.
The [[assassination]] of dissidents in exile (such as the [[1940]] murder of [[Leon Trotsky]] in [[Mexico]] by agents of Stalin) might also be considered an example of state terrorism.
After the Korean War, the Soviets supported allied and friendly regimes – notably [[Libya]], [[South Yemen]], and [[Palestinian]] groups, which in turn supported the terrorist activities of a broad spectrum of violent revolutionaries, including nihilistic groups. [http://www.cia.gov/csi/books/princeton/snie_11_2_81.pdf]
The Soviet suppression of [[Czechoslovakian]] reforms and the [[Hungarian]] revolts with massive shows of force, terrorized not only those populations, but others countries in the eastern block.
===Spain===
During the [[1970s]] and the [[1980s]], several groups, [[Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey]], [[Batallón Vasco Español]], [[Antiterrorismo ETA]] (ATE), and [[Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación]] (GAL), attacked suspected members of [[Basque people|Basque]] terrorist organization [[ETA]]. These groups have been suspected and in some cases proved to include [[Spanish police]]men and to be funded with state [[secret fund]]s.
Spanish magistrate [[Baltasar Garzón]]'s investigations led to the conviction of a Spanish [[PSOE]] minister and several subordinates for organizing the GAL.
Garzón has also provided the following definition for "state terrorism": ''A political system whose rule of recognition permits and/or imposes a clandestine, unpredictable, and diffuse application, even regarding clearly innocent people, of coercive means prohibited by the proclaimed judicial ordinance.'' Some acts of state terrorism also qualify as [[genocide]], [[crime against humanity|crimes against humanity]] or [[mass murder]].
The human rights abuses by [[Falange|Falangist militias]] against defeated Republicans, Anarchists, and Communists in the aftermath of [[Francisco Franco]]'s victory in the [[Spanish Civil War]] could be regarded as an example of state terrorism.
===Sri Lanka===
*[[1948]] - Supposed Discrimination Against Tamils by [[Sri Lanka ]]
State Sponsored Settlement of Sinhalese in disputed Tamil Areas Begins.
Thousands of Sinhalese settlers were moved into recent Tamil homelands. Tamils were not opposed to individual migration but only to large scale government colonization schemes which change the ethnic composition of an area. This resettlement was due to the
growing population of the nation. There were also many Sinhalese who had lost their lands to British imperialists. Since 40% of Sri Lanka's Tamil community lived among the Sinhalese in the south, and since the North-East had been a traditional abode of the Sinhalese before constant Tamil invasions had pushed them to the south, this was seen as an affirmative action by the Sinhalese people.
*[[1950]] - Half a million Indian Tamils Lost Their [[Sri Lankan]] Citizenship.
Generations of estate Tamils have lived in Sri Lanka for more than a 115 years. These Indian Tamils had been brought over by British planters and worked at very low wages. In 1948, at independence, the Tamils had 33% of the voting power in the legislature. Upon the disenfranchisement of the estate Tamils (in 1950), however, this proportion dropped to 20%. The Sinhalese obtained more than a 2/3 majority in the Parliament, making it impossible for Tamils to exercise an effective opposition to Sinhalese policies affecting them.
*[[1956]] - '[[Sinhala]] Only' Act Was Introduced.
English was removed from its status as the official language and Sinhala was made the official language of Sri Lanka. This was due to the majority Sinhalese being educated in Sinhalese schools, and not finding jobs during the British Imperialistic era. All government employees were required to be fluent in Sinhala. Most Tamils who worked for the government lost their jobs. Government administration was offered only in Sinhala, even in areas where 99% of the population was literate in Tamil. The Tamil Federal Party led a group Tamil volunteers and staged a sit down Satyagraha, (peaceful protest) of the kind popularized by Mahatma Gandhi in the days of the Indian freedom struggle, in Colombo. This protest was broken up by armed Sinhalese gangs, while Sinhalese policemen stood by and watched. Some protesters were thrown into nearby Beira Lake. Riots then broke out through out Sri Lanka where Tamils were assaulted, homes, shops and property burned. Sinhalese settlers in the Northern and Eastern province were attacked by neighboring Tamil villages. In 1956, 150 Tamils were murdered. The violence continued for two more years. In 1958 another 150-200 Tamils were murdered, thousands more were assaulted and Tamil property looted. Over 25,000 Tamil refugees were relocated to the North. As peaceful protests against discrimination continued in 1961 the Sri Lankan Army led by Christian Officers attacked hundreds of men and women in Jaffna.
*[[1970]] - Sri Lanka banned the importing of Tamil media and literature
Importing Tamil language films, books, magazines, journals, etc. from Tamil Nadu, India were banned. Sri Lanka also proscribe the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham and the Tamil Youth League. Culturally, the Tamil people were cut off from Tamil Nadu. Foreign exchange for the long established practice of Tamil students going to India for university education stopped. Equally, examinations for external degrees from the [[University of London]]were abolished. Having thus cut off Tamil students from their traditional educational opportunities, [[Sri Lanka government]] introduced various restriction on Tamil education. The Tamil students faced the brunt of affirmative action bye having to gain higher marks on their entrance exam as their Sinhalese counterparts. The government then brought in district quotas. This effectively based university entrance on ethnicity. Less than 15% of university seats were available for Tamils.
*[[1971]] - Sri Lanka introduces standardisation of marks for University Education
In short Sinhala students did not have to score as well as their Tamil counterparts in order to gain entrance to universities. Professor K.M. de Silva from the University of Peradeniya had this to say at the time "''The qualifying mark for admission to the medical faculties was 250 (out of 400) for Tamil students, whereas it was only 229 for the Sinhalese. Worse still, this same pattern of a lower qualifying mark applied even when Sinhalese and Tamil students sat for the examination in English. In short, students sitting for examinations in the same language, but belonging to two ethnic groups, had different qualifying marks.''"
*[[1981]] - Destruction of the [[Jaffna]] Public Library
A large group of 200 Policemen went on rampage on the nights of May 31 to June 2 burning the market area of Jaffna, the office of the [[Tamil Newspaper]], the home of the member of Parliament for Jaffna, the Jaffna Public Library and murder four people. The destruction of the Jaffna Public Library was the incident which appeared to cause the most distress to the people of Jaffna. The 95,000 volumes of the Public Library destroyed by the fire included numerous culturally important and irreplaceable manuscripts.
*[[1983]] - [[Black July]]
The fourth week of July 1983 (23 29) witnessed the worst violence and blood shed in Sri Lanka. This was following the ambush and killing of 13 Sri Lankan soldiers by the LTTE, a terrorist organization. During the week, Sri Lankan state orchestrated violence that claimed the lives of more than 3,00 Tamils; over a million dollars worth of Tamils' property were destroyed. Most of the instigators were criminals who worked for the UNP, who relied heavily on underworld elements to carry out political activities. More than a hundred thousand Tamils were made destitute. The government of Sri Lanka itself systematically planned and executed the atrocities against the Tamils. The government provided the rioters with voters' list to identify the homes of the Tamils. Once the Tamil homes were identified the occupants were either chased away, and in some cases hacked or burnt to death by the state sponsored criminals, and the properties were plundered. In [[Colombo]], 53 political prisoners were massacred inside a high security prison. None of the perpetrators of these barbaric atrocities were ever brought to Justice.
*[[1995]] - Over sixty displaced Tamil civilians killed in government air strike
[http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/57jmas?opendocument ICRC] Sixty five Tamil civilians were killed and 150 injured when government forced dropped multiple bombs on a church and surrounding grounds being used to shelter the refugees. The Church of St. Peter and Paul in Navaly had earlier been designated as a refgue by the government and Tamil civilians had been encouraged to take shelter there.
*[[2006]] - Thirteen Tamil civilians killed on Kayts Islet
[http://www.amnesty.ca/resource_centre/news/view.php?load=arcview&article=3479&c=Resource+Centre+News Amnesty International]
Thirteen Tamil civilians were reportedly killed in a spate of incidents on Kayts Island, a small islet off the northwestern coast of the Jaffna Peninsula that is strictly controlled by the Sri Lanka Navy, which has a major base there. On 13 May, at about 8.30 p.m., unidentified gunmen reportedly entered the home of Sellathurai Amalathas in Allaipiddy and opened fire. Eight people were killed on the spot, including a four-month-old baby and four-year-old boy, and one other person died later in hospital. In another incident, at around 10:30 p.m. the same night, unidentified gunmen reportedly entered the home of 72-year-old Murugesu Shanmugalingam in Puliyankoodal, also on Kayts Island, and shot him and two other members of his family dead. Ten shops in Puliyankoodal were reportedly burnt down. In Vangalady, gunmen reportedly entered the home of Ratnam Senthuran, a tea shop owner, and shot him dead. Other members of his family also were shot and injured, but managed to escape. Amnesty International has received credible reports that Sri Lanka Navy personnel and armed cadres affiliated with the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, a Tamil political party that is opposed to the LTTE, were present at the scene of the killings.
*[[2006]] - Sri Lankan forces 'target church'
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5091320.stm BBC Report]
[http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2006/06/18/1639847-ap.html AP Article]
Survivors and witnesses of attack accused Sri Lankan forces for storming and then indiscriminately shooting and lobbing grenades inside the church where hundreds of Tamils were taking shelter. The shootings killed five people in the village and injured over forty, four of these were Tamil fishermen found shot execution style stilling clutching their identification cards.
===Sudan===
The [[Sudanese]] government has been accused of major violations of human rights and state terrorism, principally through supporting the [[Janjaweed]] militias in [[Darfur]], and its controversial behaviour in [[Southern Sudan]]. It has been alleged that the current [[Islamist]] regime has performed forced conversions to [[Islam]] of [[Christians]] and [[Animists]] through [[starvation]].
===Syria===
The United States Department of State accuses [[Syria]] as a state sponsor of terrorism for providing "political and limited material support" to a number of Palestinian rejectionist groups, deemed to be terrorist groups by the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[European Union]], and [[Israel]]. These groups include the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (PFLP), the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command]] (PFLP-GC), the [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]] (PIJ), the Islamic Resistance Movement ([[Hamas]]), the [[Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine]], and [[Hezbollah]].<ref>Patterns of Global Terrorism -2002. Released by the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism U.S. Department of State. [[April 30]], [[2003]]. [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2002/html/19986.htm Middle East Overview], [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2002/html/19988.htm Overview of State-Sponsored Terrorism]</ref>
The leaders of many of these groups live in [[Damascus]], including Ramadan Shalah, the Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad; his deputy Ziad Nehaleh; Imad al-Alami, a senior Hamas operative; other leading Palestinians such as [[Ahmed Jibril]], [[George Habash]] and Nayef Hawatmeh live in Syria. Syria also facilitated the presence of these groups in [[Lebanon]], particularly in the [[Beqaa|Beka'a Valley]], where Hezbollah engages in narcotics production and large-scale currency forgery.
The Syrian government itself has been accused of engaging in state terrorism by President [[George W. Bush]] and by the American public broadcaster [[PBS]]<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/syria/terrorism.html Syria's Links to Terrorism] Compiled for the Online NewsHour by David Butterworth for [[PBS]] Posted: [[March 9]], [[2005]].</ref>. The European Community met on [[November 10]], [[1986]] to discuss the [[Hindawi Affair]], an attempt to bomb an [[El Al]] flight out of [[London]], and the subsequent arrest and trial in the UK of Nizar Hindawi, who allegedly received Syrian government support after the bombing, and possibly beforehand <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/24/newsid_2478000/2478505.stm 1986: On this day [[24 October]] [[1986]]:UK cuts links with Syria over bomb plot] by BBC Stories From [[24 October]]</ref>. The European response was to impose sanctions against Syria and state that these measures were intended "to send Syria the clearest possible message that what has happened is absolutely unacceptable."<ref>[http://www.ict.org.il/documents/documentdet.cfm?docid=17 The Hindawi Case: Syrian Connexions. Background Brief] by [[ICT]] Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London [[November 1]], [[1986]]</ref>
However, Syria has assisted the United States and other governments in their opposition to [[al-Qaeda]] (Country Reports on Terrorism, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, [[April 27]], [[2005]]).
The following acts of violence or assassinations were carried out against those who opposed Syria, and Syrian involvement or support has been cited to various degrees:
* (February 2005) [[Rafik Hariri]] was killed by a car bomb which killed ten others. Hariri was a known opponent of the pro-Syrian policies of [[Emile Lahoud]]. The opposition parties in Lebanon accuse Syria of orchestrating the assassination. <ref>[http://www.cedarland.org/terror.html Syria and International Terrorism] blog site called [http://www.cedarland.org/about.html cedarland]. Seems to have a lot about Lebanon [http://www.cedarland.org/site.html on the site]</ref>
* (October 2004) Failed assassination attempt against anti-Syrian politician Marwan Hmade. He had demanded Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon.
* (May 2002) Assassination of anti-Syrian-occupation activist Ramzi Irani whose body was found in the boot of his car, nearly two weeks after his kidnapping.
* (October 1990) Assassination of Lebanese leader, [[Dany Chamoun]] and his wife and two children immediately following Syrian occupation.
* (August 1987) Assassination of Dr. Mohammad Choucair, an advisor to Lebanese President [[Amine Gemayel]] was killed inside his home in the Syrian-controlled part of West Beirut on [[August 2]], 1987.
* (October 1986) Assassination of Sheikh Soubhi Saleh, the head of the Islamic Shiite Higher Council.
* (September 1982) Assassination of Lebanese President-elect [[Bashir Gemayel]] (1947-1982) who was killed along with many others in the bombing of his party's Beirut headquarters.
* (July 1980) Assassination of Riad Taha, a prominent journalist. (Also read recent article "Journalists and politicians pay tribute to legacy of Riad Taha" dated [[July 23]] [[2005]]: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=17019
* (February 1980) Assassination of Selim Lowzi, a prominent journalist who opposed the Syrian regime.
* (March 1977) Assassination of [[Kamal Jumblatt]], a Lebanese [[Druze]] leader near a Syrian checkpoint after he publicly criticized the Syrian invasion of Lebanon.
These are all assassinations that have never been proven to be Syria.
===Turkey===
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the [[Turkey|Turkish]] government's behaviour in the mainly [[Kurdish]] southeast of the country had frequently resulted in controversy, ostensibly while it was fighting against the [[separatist]] [[PKK]]. It should be noted that, until [[2001]], the Kurdish language was illegal and many people were [[arrested]] for speaking it.
===Uganda===
When an [[Air France]] [[Airbus]] was hijacked from [[Athens]] on [[June 27]] [[1976]], the terrorists were invited by Ugandan leader [[Idi Amin]] to stop at [[Entebbe International Airport]] in the city of [[Entebbe]], 32 km from [[Kampala]]. The hijackers demanded the release of 53 PLO and [[Red Army Faction]] prisoners in return for the 256 hostages, and were assisted by Amin's troops. Amin visited the [[hostage]]s at least twice to humiliate them. At midnight on [[July 3]], [[1976]], Israeli commandos attacked the airport and freed all but two of the hostages. (One was killed by friendly fire from the Israeli forces, while another, 75-year-old Dora Bloch, who had been taken to a hospital before the rescue, was murdered by two Ugandan army officers on Amin's orders after the hostage rescue.) Amin was also rumoured to practice [[cannibalism]] as a form of state terrorism to intimidate his political opponents.
===United Kingdom===
====Former Colonies====
Human rights abuses against independence movements (many of which were themselves violent) and British collusion in them has been reported in a number of former colonies of the [[British Empire]].<ref>See [[#References|References]]: [[Mark Curtis]] This book draws on declassified Foreign Office files to give a detailed account of this.</ref>
====Northern Ireland====
In [[Northern Ireland]], members of the [[Royal Ulster Constabulary]] and [[British army]]<ref>[http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld200304/ldjudgmt/jd040311/mckerr-1.htm Judgments - In re McKerr (AP) (Respondent) (Northern Ireland)] SESSION [2003]-04 [2004] UKHL 12 on appeal from: [2003] NICA 1 [[House of Lords]] Publications</ref>, have been involved in the deaths of [[Ireland|Irish]] [[Irish Republicanism|republicans]] and Catholic civilians at the hands of different [[loyalist]] [[paramilitary]] groups. The victims included members of the [[PIRA]], [[Sinn Féin]], the [[SDLP]] and civilians, including solicitors (eg. [[Pat Finucane (lawyer)|Pat Finucane]]) <ref>[http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/13706.shtml Northern Ireland - Who was behind the Finucane murder?] An [[Amnesty International]] news release published on [[24 February]], [[2000]]</ref>. There have been a number of investigations and reports into alleged collusion between Security Forces and Paramilitaries<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/collusion/index.html Collusion between Security Forces and Paramilitaries] on the "[[CAIN]] Web Service" [[Conflict Archive on the INternet]] is based within the [[University of Ulster]].</ref>, of which the [[Stevens Report]] is the most comprehensive to date, although no concrete evidence has been presented that the collusion was authorised by the [[British government]].
There are also allegations that a "[[Shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland|shoot-to-kill]]" policy was operated during the conflict, usually concerning incidents involving members of the [[Special Air Service]], [[Ulster Defence Regiment]] or the RUC. The most infamous allegations regard the ''[[Death on the Rock]]'' case on [[Gibraltar]]. Many groups, including [[Sinn Féin]]<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violence/sf31398.htm 'An Appalling Vista' Collusion: British Military Intelligence and Brian Nelson by Sinn Féin] on the "[[CAIN]] Web Service" [[Conflict Archive on the INternet]] is based within the [[University of Ulster]].</ref>, demand that further enquires be made to find out how high up the collusion went, and while members of the British government deny that any further investigations will find any evidence of government involvement in the collusion, they stated they were in favour of further investigations into specific incidents such as the one by Canadian Judge [[Peter Cory]]. On publication of Cory's reports on [[7 October]] [[2004]] the [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] [[Paul Murphy (politician)|Paul Murphy]] said "''I firmly believe that the only way we can put the past behind us in Northern Ireland is by seeking to establish the truth.''"<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3589969.stm Murphy's response to Cory reports] BBC [[1 April]], [[2004]]</ref><ref>[http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/cm041201/debtext/41201-02.htm Peace Process] Oral Answers to Questions on NORTHERN IRELAND about Decommissioning [[1 December]] [[2004]]</ref>
However, the British government quickly passed the [[Inquiries Act 2005]], limiting the scope of the inquiries proposed by Cory, which the judge has strongly criticised. The [[Irish government]] has recently threatened to take the British government to the [[European Court of Justice]], over the latter's refusal to hand over files relating to the [[Dublin and Monaghan Bombings]].
===United States===
{{seealso|American terrorism (term)}}
The United States has been criticized for refusing to extradite accused terrorists such as [[Luis Posada Carriles]], Guillermo Novo Sampol, Pedro Remon, and Gaspar Jimenezand. Sought by [[Cuba]] and [[Venezuela]], the US remains firm that extraditing these suspects is inappropriate, citing human rights concerns pertaining to the requesting nations. (Washington Post, Sept. 3, 2004, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57838-2004Sep2.html).
===Uzbekistan===
The Government of [[Uzbekistan]], led by [[Islam Karamov]], has been accused of being responsible for a number of human rights violations. Such abuses include torture, arbitrary arrest and boiling political dissidents. The most recent well-known example of severe repression was its suppression of the demonstrations in the border town of [[Andizhan]] in May 2005.
===Zaire===
[[Joseph Mobutu]]'s regime was characterised by high levels of repression and [[corruption]], and was finally brought down by [[Rwandan]] and [[Ugandan]] backed forces in 1997.
===Zimbabwe===
[[Robert Mugabe]]'s regime has been accused frequently of state terrorism, for example the massacres of the [[Ndebele]] ethnic group in the 1980s, its destruction of houses where opposition supporters live and its illegal takeover of [[white]]-owned farms.
==References==
* Sluka, Jeffrey A. (Ed.) (2000). ''Death Squad: The Anthropology of State Terror''. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-1711-X.
* Chomsky, Noam and Herman, Edward S. (1979). ''The Political Economy of Human Rights - Volume I''. Boston: South End Press. ISBN 0-89608-090-0
*{{cite book|author=Alexander George | title=Western State Terrorism|publisher=Polity Press | year=1991 | id=ISBN 0745609317 }}
*{{cite book|author=Mark Curtis |title=Unpeople: Britain's Secret Human Rights Abuses |publisher=Vintage|year=2004 |id=ISBN 0099469723}}
==Notes==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
<references/>
==External links==
:''Syria''
* [http://www.danielpipes.org/article/1064 "Terrorism: The Syrian Connection"], by Daniel Pipes
* [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45392.htm U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism List (5B)]
* [http://www.lgic.org/en/help_syria_terrorism.php Syrian terrorist incidents]
* [http://www.ict.org.il/inter_ter/st_terror/syrian_terror.htm#70's-80's "Terrorism as a Preferred Instrument of Syrian Policy"] by Dr. Reuven Ehrlich (Avi-Ran), ICT
* [http://www.meib.org/articles/0210_s1.htm "Sponsoring terrorism: Syrian and Hamas] by Gary C. Gambill, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, October 2002
* [http://www.documentary-film.net/search/video-listings.php?e=9 Video about State Terror]
:''Others''
* [http://www.genocide.org.uk/ Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka]
*[http://www.tamilcanadian.com/eelam/massacres/ Sinhala State terrorism]
* [http://www.getunderground.com/underground/features/article.cfm?Article_ID=1892 The Brazilian and the Leviathan: London Calling] Article on the latent terrorist tendencies of the British state, by James Horrox
* [http://www.patfinucanecentre.org/ Pat Finucane Centre]
==See also==
* [[terrorism]]
* [[State-sponsored terrorism]]
* [[terror bombing]]
* [[War crime]]
* [[Crime against humanity]]
* [[false flag]] operation
* [[Operation Condor]]
* [[Operation Gladio]]
* [[Operation Northwoods]]
==Further reading==
* Chomsky, Noam. ''The Culture of Terrorism'' ISBN 0896083349
* Chomsky, Noam. ''9/11'' ISBN 1583224890
* George, Alexander. ''Western State Terrorism'', Polity Press. ISBN 0745609317
[[Category:Political repression]]
[[Category:Terrorism]]
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[[es:Terrorismo de Estado]]
[[eo:Ŝtata terorismo]]
[[eu:Estatu terrorismo]]
[[fr:Terrorisme d'État]]
[[id:Terorisme negara]]
[[no:Statsterrorisme]]
[[sv:Statsterrorism]]
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