Many Faces of State Terrorism

Academicians and scholars the world over have attempted to analyse different dimensions of terrorism. Despite tomes being written about terrorism, a commonly-accepted definition of the phenomenon eludes both academic and policy circles.

Terrorism has become a significant feature of the contemporary world order, particularly in the wake of the incident of 9/11 and the subsequent war against terrorism. Academicians and scholars the world over have attempted to analyze different dimensions of terrorism. At the same time, scholarly efforts are being undertaken to understand its old versions and their guiding philosophies. Despite tomes being written about terrorism, a commonly-accepted definition of the phenomenon eludes both academic and policy circles. A similar conundrum is apparent when one looks at its various aspects, especially in the context of recent developments in international relations.

This paper is a modest attempt to understand ‘state terrorism’ which is among the oldest forms of terrorism. Most contemporary definitions of terrorism do not view the state as a terrorist actor. The reason behind such reverence for the state is its supposedly, protective nature and the analytic fixation that terrorists can only belong to so-called ‘revolutionary organizations’ which can intimidate civilians through the calculated use or threat of use of violence. Post-9/11 conceptions of terrorism, especially those that draw on the definitions put forward by the US Department of Defense and the State Department, do not take into account the acts of terrorism committed by states. In reality, attempts to analyze various facets of terrorism throw up numerous example acts of terrorism committed by states. A cursory glance at the world’s history reveals that there are many instances of a state terrorizing its own citizens or other states’ citizens. Historically, states have been involved in all kinds of terrorist activities: state sponsored, state assisted, ‘episodic-specific sponsorship’ of terrorist activities, joint operations and even genocide and ethnic cleansing. States justify such violence by invoking state sovereignty and maintenance of law and order at the ‘domestic front’ and in the name of ‘just war’ abroad. State officials and security agencies have been known to perpetrate brutality against their own citizens in order to get the masses’ support for the ruler.

Generally, there are three distinct aspects of violence committed by states. First is the use of force by the authoritarian ruler in order to suppress voices against corrupt or dictatorial rule. Historically, most states go through this phase at one time or another. Second is the use of terror for ‘coerced conversion’ to prepare environment for a political, economic or social change. Third is genocide which is the most brutal form of violence that states can engage in. States opting for genocide usually go for ethnic or religious cleansing such as the massacre of Muslims in Bosnia by Serbs and that of the Jews by Hitler.

On the basis of methodology, there are two distinct forms of state terrorism. The first is Clandestine in which a state’s special task forces are directly involved in covert terrorist activities. The second is the Surrogate form of terrorism in which states assist terrorist organizations through all means and modes to create chaos and anarchy in other states in order to threaten them or to subjugate them. States’ practice of operating ‘politically violent proxies beyond their borders’can be understood through the assistance model. States engage in this kind activity to secure their interests beyond their borders. This sponsorship is of four types. The most important of all is intervention in other state(s) or support to violent groups on politically sympathetic grounds. States also support terrorist activities via logistical support and, sometimes, conduct joint operations. They may offer their sponsorship at intervals which is termed as episodic-specific sponsorship. These are some of the basic ways and means through which states intervene in the internal matters of other state(s) and create chaos and anarchy and disturb political balance of other state(s).