State terrorism

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.

The assassination of dissidents in exile might also be considered an example of state terrorism. Examples include the1940 murder of Leon Trotsky in Mexico by agents of Stalin, or the 1976 assassination of Orlando Letelier in Washington by agents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Various advocates have accused the India, Pakistan, the Soviet Union, United States, France, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Burma, Russia, Chile, Argentina, Uganda, Mexico, China, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Algeria, and Sri Lanka of state terrorism.