State terrorism is terrorism considered as carried out or sponsored by a government. Like terrorism generally, state terrorism involves deliberate attacks on civilians, for the purpose of attaining a political or religious goal. Some advocates, such as anti-communists, consider that Stalin's purges also constitute state terrorism; there is much disagreement, however, on what to call this: genocide, crime against humanity, mass murder are also possible descriptions. There is also deliberation between what is state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism.
The assassination of dissidents in exile (such as the 1940 murder of Leon Trotsky in Mexico by agents of Josef Stalin) might also be considered an example of state terrorism.
Iraq
Iraq under Saddam Hussein is widely believed to have been responsible for numerous chemical weapons attacks on its own civilian population to stem revolutionary activity and pacify ethnic groups. One of the more famous incidents is the Halabja poison gas attack.
China
The government of the People's Republic of China has repeatedly engaged in behaviors considered to violate international standards of human rights. Some of these are also considered acts of state terrorism, such as the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
China has also actively suppressed movements in Tibet which support independence for the Dalai Lama. Some of these actions, such as mass imprisonment and using violence against peaceful demonstrators, would be classified by some as state terrorism.
Under Nazi rule, it is well established that Adolf Hitler relied on terror to keep his political enemies in check.
In East Germany, labor revolts and labor strikes were often put down with what most would consider hugely disproportionate force, the goal likely being to terrorize workers into conforming behavior.
Myanmar
The ruling junta of Myanmar has repeatedly engaged in activities to suppress 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, for instance, the August 8, 1998 Burma protest.
Soviet Union
Under the reigns of Lenin and Stalin, political opponents of the 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.
United States
The United States of America, being an economically and militarily powerful nation, has gained numerous perennial critics, who tend to focus on its foreign policy. One of these is author Michael Moore. For his list of charges against the US, some of which would be considered by some to be examples of state terrorism, see Michael Moore and US foreign policy.
Many critics claim that various US policies have negative humanitarian consequences, and that in some cases that could be considered state terrorism. For instance, the UN sanctions on Iraq, actually created by the UN and not the US, are often charged with harming the people more than the government. However, the US responded that the sanctions were necessary to cut off the oil revenue that was funding Saddam Hussein's regime.
The US has also taken sides in various foreign civil wars, often working with organizations with questionable human rights practices in order to help fight an enemy perceived as worse. Some label support of such organizations state terrorism.
The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima is considered by many to be an example of state terrorism.
The US furthers a policy of overthrow the democratically elected Chilean president promoting and supporting a series of activities oriented to terrorize the population. The formal instruction to the CIA base in Chile was “It is a firm and continuing policy that Allende be overthrow by a coup. It will be much preferable to have this transpire prior to 24 of October, but efforts in this regard will continue vigorously beyond this date. We are to continue to generate maximum pressure towards this end, utilizing every appropriated resource. It is imperative that these actions be implemented clandestinely and securely so that USG and American hand be well hidden…”
The first documented action in this regard was the kidnapping of the army commander (because it was a constitutionalist, i.e. It will not support a coup) The CIA in Santiago keeps contact wit two groups inside the military and provide guns and money for this action. One group succeed in a an action that result in the killing of the Army commander on the spot. The action result was just the opposite that his promoters expect, instead of terrorizing the population, the citizens and the military rally behind the just elected Allende. Failing this action, Nixon give orders to Helms, at this time the CIA Director, to implement economics sanctions that result in extended suffering to the general population. The resulting instability creates the conditions for successful military coup against Allende, in 1973.
Spain
During the 1970s and the 1980s, several groups attacked suspected members of Basque terrorist organization ETA. These groups are:
- Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey
- Batallón Vasco Español
- Antiterrorismo ETA (ATE)
- Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (GAL)
These groups have been suspected and in some cases proved to include Spanish policemen and to be funded with state secret funds.
Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzón's investigations led to the conviction of a Spanish PSOE minister and several subordinates for organizing the GAL.
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 Gen. Carlos Prats in Argentina in similar circumstances, and the attempted assassination of Bernardo Leighton in Italy.