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'''Communist terrorism''' ( |
'''Communist terrorism''' (also '''revolutionary terrorism'''{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}) is [[terrorism]] committed by [[communist]] organizations or Communist states against state officials, police, military or [[civilians]] to achieve political or ideological objectives by creating fear.<ref> [http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010438 Propaganda Redux. Take it from this old KGB hand: The left is abetting America's enemies with its intemperate attacks on President Bush.] by [[Ion Mihai Pacepa]], [[Wall Street Journal]], August 7, 2007</ref><ref>"The notion of terrorism is fairly straightforward — it is ideologically or politically motivated violence directed against civilian targets." said Professor Martin Rudner, director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at Ottawa's Carleton University." Humphreys, Adrian. [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a64f73d2-f672-4bd0-abb3-2584029db496 "One official's 'refugee' is another's 'terrorist'"], ''[[National Post]],'' January 17, 2006.</ref><ref>MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, [http://www.tkb.org/Glossary.jsp ''Glossary:Communist/Socialist''], accessed 6 October 2007</ref> The term is also widely used by [[anti-communists]] to describe the [[political repression]] conducted by Communist governments against the civilian population such as the [[Red Terror]] and [[Great Terror]] in the [[Soviet Union]].<ref name="black book">Nicolas Werth, Karel Bartošek, Jean-Louis Panné, Jean-Louis Margolin, Andrzej Paczkowski, [[Stéphane Courtois]], ''[[The Black Book of Communism]]: Crimes, Terror, Repression'', [[Harvard University Press]], 1999, hardcover, 858 pages, ISBN 0-674-07608-7</ref> |
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==History and ideology of Communist terrorism== |
==History and ideology of Communist terrorism== |
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===Origin of Communist terrorism=== |
===Origin of Communist terrorism=== |
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German Social Democrat [[Karl Kautsky]] and other authors trace the origins of Communist [[terrorism]] to the "[[Reign of Terror]]" of the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="Kautsky">[http://marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1919/terrcomm/index.htm Terrorism and Communism] by [[Karl Kautsky]]. Kautsky said: "It is, in fact, a widely spread idea that [[Terrorism]] belongs to the very essence of [[revolution]], and that whoever wants a revolution must somehow come to some sort of terms with terrorism. As proof of this assertion, over and over again the great French Revolution has been cited." (Chapter 1)</ref><ref>[[The Gulag Archipelago]] by [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]]</ref |
German Social Democrat [[Karl Kautsky]] and other authors trace the origins of Communist [[terrorism]] to the "[[Reign of Terror]]" of the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="Kautsky">[http://marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1919/terrcomm/index.htm Terrorism and Communism] by [[Karl Kautsky]]. Kautsky said: "It is, in fact, a widely spread idea that [[Terrorism]] belongs to the very essence of [[revolution]], and that whoever wants a revolution must somehow come to some sort of terms with terrorism. As proof of this assertion, over and over again the great French Revolution has been cited." (Chapter 1)</ref><ref>[[The Gulag Archipelago]] by [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]]</ref> |
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Important ideologists of these groups were [[Mikhail Bakunin]] and [[Sergey Nechayev]], who was described in [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]'s novel [[The Possessed (novel)|"The possessed"]].<ref name="Radzinsky"/>. Nechaev argued that the purpose of revolutionary terror in not to gain a support of masses, but to the contrary, inflict misery and fear on the common population. He said: |
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''A revolutionary "must infiltrate all social formations including the police. He must exploit rich and influential people, subordinating them to himself. He must aggravate the miseries of the common people, so as to exhaust their patience and incite them to rebel. And, finally, he must ally himself with the savage word of the violent criminal, the only true revolutionary in Russia".''<ref name="Radzinsky">[[Edvard Radzinsky]] ''Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia's Secret Archives'' (1997) ISBN 0-385-47954-9 </ref> ''"The Revolutionist is a doomed man. He has no private interests, no affairs, sentiments, ties, property nor even a name of his own. His entire being is devoured by one purpose, one thought, one passion - the revolution. Heart and soul, not merely by word but by deed, he has severed every link with the social order and with the entire civilized world; with the laws, good manners, conventions, and morality of that world. He is its merciless enemy and continues to inhabit it with only one purpose - to destroy it."'' |
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===Terror campaigns within the Soviet Union=== |
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After the [[October Revolution]] [[Bolsheviks]] began the campaign of [[Red Terror]]. Martin Latsis, chief of the Ukrainian [[Cheka]] explained this policy in newspaper ''"Red Terror"'': |
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:''"Do not look in the file of incriminating evidence to see whether or not the accused rose up against the Soviets with arms or words. Ask him instead to which [[social class|class]] he belongs, what is his background, his [[education]], his [[profession]]. These are the questions that will determine the fate of the accused. That is the meaning and essence of the Red Terror"'' <ref name="State"> [[Yevgenia Albats]] and Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. ''The State Within a State: The KGB and Its Hold on Russia - Past, Present, and Future''. 1994. ISBN 0-374-52738-5.</ref> |
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The term "terror" was a normal working term, since the dictatorship of the proletariat was supposed to suppress the resistance of other [[social class]]es which Marxism considered antagonistic to the class of [[proletariat]]. The entire "[[ruling class]]es" have been exterminated, including "rich people", and a significant part of [[intelligentsia]] and peasantry labeled as [[kulaks]]. The numerous victims of [[extrajudicial punishment]] were called the [[Enemy of the people|enemies of the people]]. The punishment by the state included [[summary execution]]s, [[torture]], sending innocent people to [[Gulag]], [[Involuntary settlements in the Soviet Union|involunatry settlement]], and [[Lishenets|stripping of citizen's rights]]. Usually, all members of a family, including children, were punished simultaneously as "[[NKVD Order № 00486|traitor of Motherland family members]]". The repressions have been conducted by [[Cheka]], [[OGPU]] and [[NKVD]] in several consecutive waves known as [[Red Terror]], [[Collectivisation in the USSR|Collectivisation]], [[Great Purge]], [[Doctor's Plot]], and others. |
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===Views of Marxism theoreticians and leaders=== |
===Views of Marxism theoreticians and leaders=== |
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According to [[Marx]], "There is only one way to shorten and ease the convulsions of the old society and the bloody birth pangs of the new - revolutionary terror" |
According to [[Marx]], "There is only one way to shorten and ease the convulsions of the old society and the bloody birth pangs of the new - revolutionary terror."'<ref name="Radzinsky">[[Edvard Radzinsky]] ''Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia's Secret Archives'' (1997) ISBN 0-385-47954-9</ref> [[Joseph Stalin]] wrote a ''[[nota bene]]'' "Terror is the quickest way to new society" beside this passage in a book by Marx<ref name="Radzinsky"/>. Marx also believed that "The present generation resembles the Jews whom Moses led through the wilderness. It must not only conquer a new world, it must also ''perish'' in order to make a room for the people who are fit for a new world."<ref name="Pipes"> [[Richard Pipes]] Communism: A History (2001) ISBN 0-812-96864-6, pages 74-75.</ref> |
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⚫ | [[Lenin]], [[Lev Trotsky]] and other leading [[Bolshevik]] ideologists recognized mass terror as a necessary weapon during the [[dictatorship of proletariat]] and the resulting [[class struggle]]. In his book "''Defence of Terrorism''" Trotsky emphasized that "...the historical tenacity of the bougeoisie is colossal... We are forced to tear off this class and chop it away. The [[Red Terror]] is a weapon used against a class that, despite being doomed to destruction, does not want to perish." <ref> "Black book of Communism", page 749 |
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⚫ | Many later Marxists, in particular [[Karl Kautsky]], criticized [[Bolshevik]] leaders for terrorism tactics. He stated that "among the phenomena for which Bolshevism has been responsible, [[Terrorism]], which begins with the abolition of every form of freedom of the Press, and ends in a system of wholesale [[execution]], is certainly the most striking and the most repellent of all".<ref>[[Karl Kautsky]], [http://marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1919/terrcomm/ch08b.htm#s6 Terrorism and Communism] Chapter VIII, The Communists at Work, The Terror</ref> Kautsky recognized that [[Red Terror]] represented a variety of [[terrorism]] because it was indiscriminate, intended to frighten the civilian population, and included taking and executing [[hostages]] |
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This led some historians to belive that the despotism and violence were the intrinsic properties of every [[Communist country|Communist regime]] in the world <ref name="Pipes"> [[Richard Pipes]] Communism: A History (2001) ISBN 0-812-96864-6, pages 39.</ref>, since the importance of terror follows from the [[Marxism]] teaching which considers human lives as expendable material for construction of [[Communism|the brighter future society]]. |
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===Promotion of terrorist organizations by Communist states=== |
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Later on, Soviet secret services worked to establish a network of terrorist [[front organization]]s and have been described as the primary promoters of terrorism worldwide.<ref name="Lunev"> [[Stanislav Lunev]] ''Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev'', Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-89526-390-4 </ref> <ref> [[Viktor Suvorov]] ''Inside Soviet Military Intelligence'', 1984, ISBN 0-02-615510-9 </ref><ref> [[Viktor Suvorov]] ''Spetsnaz'', 1987, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, ISBN 0-241-11961-8 </ref> According to [[Ion Mihai Pacepa]], General Aleksandr Sakharovsky from the [[First Chief Directorate]] of the [[KGB]] once said: ''"In today’s world, when [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear arms]] have made military force obsolete, terrorism should become our main weapon."''<ref name="Pacep2"> [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjUzMGU4NTMyOTdkOTdmNTA1MWJlYjYyZDliODZkOGM= Russian Footprints] - by [[Ion Mihai Pacepa]], ''[[National Review|National Review Online]]'', [[August 24]] [[2006]]</ref> He also claimed that "Airplane hijacking is my own invention". In 1969 alone, 82 planes were hijacked worldwide by the KGB-financed [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (PLO).<ref name="Pacep2"/> [[George Habash]], who worked under the KGB's guidance,<ref name="Mitrokhin">[[Christopher Andrew]], [[Vasili Mitrokhin]], (2000). The [[Mitrokhin Archive]]: The KGB in Europe and the West. Gardners Books. ISBN 0-14-028487-7</ref> explained: ''"Killing one Jew far away from the field of battle is more effective than killing a hundred Jews on the field of battle, because it attracts more attention."''<ref name="Pacep2"/> |
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Lt. General [[Ion Mihai Pacepa]] described the operation "SIG" (“[[Zionist]] Governments”) that was devised in 1972, to turn the whole Islamic world against [[Israel]] and the [[United States]]. KGB chairman [[Yury Andropov]] allegedly explained to Pacepa that ''"a billion adversaries could inflict far greater damage on America than could a few millions. We needed to instill a [[Nazi]]-style hatred for the [[Jews]] throughout the [[Islamic world]], and to turn this weapon of the emotions into a terrorist bloodbath against Israel and its main supporter, the United States."'' |
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The following organizations have been allegedly established with assistance from [[Eastern Bloc]] security services: the PLO, the [[National Liberation Army (Bolivia)|National Liberation Army of Bolivia]] (created in 1964 with help from [[Ernesto Che Guevara]]); the [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)|National Liberation Army of Colombia]] (created in 1965 with help from [[Cuba]]), the [[Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] (DFLP) in 1969, and the [[Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia|Secret Army for Liberation of Armenia]] in 1975.<ref name="pacepa4"> [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=12387 From Russia With Terror], [[FrontPageMagazine.com]], interview with [[Ion Mihai Pacepa]], [[March 1]] [[2004]] </ref> <ref name="World"> [[Vasili Mitrokhin]] and [[Christopher Andrew]], ''The World Was Going Our Way: The KGB and the Battle for the Third World'', Basic Books (2005) hardcover, ISBN 0-465-00311-7. </ref> |
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⚫ | [[Lenin]], [[Lev Trotsky]] and other leading [[Bolshevik]] ideologists recognized mass terror as a necessary weapon during the [[dictatorship of proletariat]] and the resulting [[class struggle]]. In his book "''Defence of Terrorism''" Trotsky emphasized that "...the historical tenacity of the bougeoisie is colossal... We are forced to tear off this class and chop it away. The [[Red Terror]] is a weapon used against a class that, despite being doomed to destruction, does not want to perish." <ref> "Black book of Communism", page 749</ref>. On the other hand, they opposed to ''individual terror'', which has been used earlied by [[Narodnaya Volya (organization)|Russian "People's Will]] organization. According to Trotsky, "The damaging of machines by workers, for example, is terrorism in this strict sense of the word. The killing of an employer, a threat to [[Arson|set fire to a factory]] or a death threat to its owner, an [[assassination attempt]], with revolver in hand, against a government minister—all these are terrorist acts in the full and authentic sense. However, anyone who has an idea of the true nature of international [[Social Democracy]] ought to know that it has always opposed ''this kind'' of terrorism and does so in the most irreconcilable way."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1911/11/tia09.htm|title=Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism|publisher=[[Marxists.org]]|author=[[Leon Trotsky]]|month=November | year=1911}}</ref> |
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The leader of the PLO, [[Yasser Arafat]], established close collaboration with the Romanian [[Securitate]] service and the Soviet [[KGB]] in the beginning of the 1970s.<ref>The KGB and the Battle for the Third World, pages 250-253</ref> The secret training of PLO guerrillas was provided by the KGB.<ref>The KGB and the Battle for the Third World, page 145</ref> However, the main KGB activities and arms shipments were channeled through [[Wadie Haddad]] of the DFLP organization, who usually stayed in a KGB [[dacha]] BARVIKHA-1 during his visits to Russia. Led by [[Carlos the Jackal]], a group of PFLP fighters accomplished a spectacular raid the [[Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries]] office in [[Vienna]] in 1975. Advance notice of this operation "was almost certainly" given to the KGB.<ref>The KGB and the Battle for the Third World, pages 250-253</ref> |
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⚫ | Many later Marxists, in particular [[Karl Kautsky]], criticized [[Bolshevik]] leaders for terrorism tactics. He stated that "among the phenomena for which Bolshevism has been responsible, [[Terrorism]], which begins with the abolition of every form of freedom of the Press, and ends in a system of wholesale [[execution]], is certainly the most striking and the most repellent of all".<ref>[[Karl Kautsky]], [http://marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1919/terrcomm/ch08b.htm#s6 Terrorism and Communism] Chapter VIII, The Communists at Work, The Terror</ref> Kautsky recognized that [[Red Terror]] represented a variety of [[terrorism]] because it was indiscriminate, intended to frighten the civilian population, and included taking and executing [[hostages]]. |
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A number of notable operations have been conducted by the KGB to support international terrorists with weapons on the orders from the [[CPSU|Soviet Communist Party]], including: |
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* Transfer of machine-guns, automatic rifles, [[Walther arms|Walther]] pistols, and cartridges to the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] by the Soviet intelligence vessel ''Reduktor'' (operation SPLASH) in 1972 to fulfill a personal request of arms from [[Michael O'Riordan]].<ref>KGB in Europe, page 502</ref> |
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* Transfer of anti-tank grenade [[RPG-7]] launchers, radio-controlled SNOP mines, pistols with silencers, machine guns, and other weaponry to the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] through [[Wadi Haddad]] who was recruited as a KGB agent in 1970 (operation VOSTOK, "East").<ref>Operation was sanctioned personally by [[Leonid Brezhnev]] in 1970. The weapons were delivered by the KGB vessel ''Kursograf'' - KGB in Europe, pages 495-498 </ref> |
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* Support of the [[Sandinista]] movement. The leading role here belonged to the [[General Intelligence Directorate]] of Communist Cuba.<ref>KGB in Europe, pages 503-505</ref> |
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===Preparations for terrorism and sabotage operations against Western countries=== |
===Preparations for terrorism and sabotage operations against Western countries=== |
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Large-scale sabotage operations have allegedly been prepared by the [[KGB]] and [[GRU]] against the United States, Canada and Europe, according to the [[Mitrokhin Archive]] |
Large-scale sabotage operations have allegedly been prepared by the [[KGB]] and [[GRU]] against the United States, Canada and Europe, according to the [[Mitrokhin Archive]]<ref> [[Mitrokhin Archive]], The KGB in Europe, page 472-476</ref>, [[GRU]] defectors [[Victor Suvorov]]<ref> ''[[Victor Suvorov]], ''[[Spetsnaz]]'', 1987, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, ISBN 0-241-11961-8</ref> and [[Stanislav Lunev]], and former [[Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)|SVR]] officer Kouzminov.<ref name="Kuzminov"> Alexander Kouzminov ''Biological Espionage: Special Operations of the Soviet and Russian Foreign Intelligence Services in the West'', Greenhill Books, 2006, ISBN 1-853-67646-2 [http://www.calitreview.com/Interviews/int_kouzminov_8013.htm]</ref> Among the planned operations were the following: |
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*Large arms caches were allegedly hidden in many countries for the planned terrorism acts. They were booby-trapped with [[Molniya (explosive trap)|"Lightning" explosive devices]]. One of such cache, which was identified by Mitrokhin, exploded when Swiss authorities tried to remove it from woods near [[Berne]]. Several others caches (probably not equipped with the "Lightnings") were removed successfully.<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 475-476 |
*Large arms caches were allegedly hidden in many countries for the planned terrorism acts. They were booby-trapped with [[Molniya (explosive trap)|"Lightning" explosive devices]]. One of such cache, which was identified by Mitrokhin, exploded when Swiss authorities tried to remove it from woods near [[Berne]]. Several others caches (probably not equipped with the "Lightnings") were removed successfully.<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 475-476</ref> |
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*Preparations for [[Nuclear terrorism|nuclear sabotage]]. Some of the allegedly hidden caches could contain portable [[tactical nuclear weapons]] known as RA-115 "[[suitcase bomb]]s" prepared to assassinate US leaders in the event of war, according to [[GRU]] defector [[Stanislav Lunev]].<ref name="Lunev"> [[Stanislav Lunev]]. Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-89526-390-4 These portable bombs can last for many years if wired to an electric source. “In case there is a loss of power, there is a battery backup. If the battery runs low, the weapon has a transmitter that sends a coded message – either by satellite or directly to a [[GRU]] post at a Russian embassy or consulate.” |
*Preparations for [[Nuclear terrorism|nuclear sabotage]]. Some of the allegedly hidden caches could contain portable [[tactical nuclear weapons]] known as RA-115 "[[suitcase bomb]]s" prepared to assassinate US leaders in the event of war, according to [[GRU]] defector [[Stanislav Lunev]].<ref name="Lunev"> [[Stanislav Lunev]]. Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-89526-390-4 These portable bombs can last for many years if wired to an electric source. “In case there is a loss of power, there is a battery backup. If the battery runs low, the weapon has a transmitter that sends a coded message – either by satellite or directly to a [[GRU]] post at a Russian embassy or consulate.”</ref> Lunev states that he had personally looked for hiding places for weapons caches in the [[Shenandoah Valley]] area<ref name="Lunev"/> and that "it is surprisingly easy to smuggle nuclear weapons into the US" ether across the Mexican border or using a small transport missile that can slip undetected when launched from a Russian airplane.<ref name="Lunev"/> |
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*Extensive sabotage plans in London, Washington, Paris, Bonn, Rome, and other Western capitals have been reveled by KGB defector [[Oleg Lyalin]] in 1971, including plan to flood the [[London]] underground and deliver poison capsules to [[Whitehall]]. This disclosure triggered mass expulsion of Russian spies from London |
*Extensive sabotage plans in London, Washington, Paris, Bonn, Rome, and other Western capitals have been reveled by KGB defector [[Oleg Lyalin]] in 1971, including plan to flood the [[London]] underground and deliver poison capsules to [[Whitehall]]. This disclosure triggered mass expulsion of Russian spies from London.<ref> KGB in Europe, page 499-500</ref> |
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*[[FSLN]] leader [[Carlos Fonseca Amador]] was described as "a trusted agent" in KGB files. "Sandinista guerrillas formed the basis for a KGB sabotage and intelligence group established in 1966 on the Mexican US border".<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 472-473 |
*[[FSLN]] leader [[Carlos Fonseca Amador]] was described as "a trusted agent" in KGB files. "Sandinista guerrillas formed the basis for a KGB sabotage and intelligence group established in 1966 on the Mexican US border".<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 472-473</ref> |
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*Disruption of the power supply in the entire [[New York State]] by KGB sabotage teams, which would be based along the [[Delaware river]], in the [[Big Spring Park]].<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473">The KGB in Europe, page 473 |
*Disruption of the power supply in the entire [[New York State]] by KGB sabotage teams, which would be based along the [[Delaware river]], in the [[Big Spring Park]].<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473">The KGB in Europe, page 473</ref> |
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*An "immensely detailed" plan to destroy "[[oil refineries]] and oil and gas pipelines across Canada from [[British Columbia]] to [[Montreal]]" (operation "Cedar") has been prepared, which took twelve years to complete.<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 473-474 |
*An "immensely detailed" plan to destroy "[[oil refineries]] and oil and gas pipelines across Canada from [[British Columbia]] to [[Montreal]]" (operation "Cedar") has been prepared, which took twelve years to complete.<ref> The KGB in Europe, page 473-474</ref> |
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* A plan for sabotage of [[Hungry Horse Dam]] in [[Montana]].<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473"/> |
* A plan for sabotage of [[Hungry Horse Dam]] in [[Montana]].<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473"/> |
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* A detailed plan to destroy the port of New York (target GRANIT); most vulnerable points of the port were marked at maps.<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473"/> |
* A detailed plan to destroy the port of New York (target GRANIT); most vulnerable points of the port were marked at maps.<ref name="The KGB in Europe, page 473"/> |
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According to Lunev, a probable scenario in the event of war would be poisoning of [[Potomac River]] with [[Chemical weapons|chemical]] or [[biological weapons]], "targeting the residents of [[Washington DC]]" |
According to Lunev, a probable scenario in the event of war would be poisoning of [[Potomac River]] with [[Chemical weapons|chemical]] or [[biological weapons]], "targeting the residents of [[Washington DC]]"<ref name="Lunev"/> He also noted that it is "likely" that [[GRU]] operatives have placed already "poison supplies near the tributaries to major US reservoirs."<ref> Lunev, pages 29-30</ref> That was confirmed by Alexander Kouzminov who was responsible for transporting dangerous pathogens from around the world for [[Soviet program of biological weapons|Russian program of biological weapons]] in the 1980s and the beginning of 1990s. He described a variety of [[biological terrorism]] acts that would be carried out on the order of [[Vladimir Putin|Russian President]] in the event of hostilities, including poisoning public drinking-water supplies and food processing plants.<ref> Kusminov, pages 35-36. At the end of the 1980s, the Soviet Union "was the only country in the world that could start and win a global [[biological war]], something we had already established that the West was not ready for.", according to Kouzminov</ref> |
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US Congressman [[Curt Weldon]] supported claims by Lunev but noted that Lunev had "exaggerated things" according to the [[FBI]]. |
US Congressman [[Curt Weldon]] supported claims by Lunev but noted that Lunev had "exaggerated things" according to the [[FBI]].<ref>Nicholas Horrock, [http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2001/12/20/fbi_focusing_on_portable_nuke_threat/9007/ "FBI focusing on portable nuke threat"], ''UPI'' (20 December 2001).</ref> Searches of the areas identified by Lunev - who admits he never planted any weapons in the US - have been conducted, "but law-enforcement officials have never found such weapons caches, with or without portable nuclear weapons."<ref> Steve Goldstein and Chris Mondics, "Some Weldon-backed allegations unconfirmed; Among them: A plot to crash planes into a reactor, and missing suitcase-size Soviet atomic weapons." ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' (15 March 2006) A7.</ref> |
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==Shining Path== |
==Shining Path== |
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The Communist Party of Peru more commonly known as the [[Shining Path]] (Sendero Luminoso), is a Maoist guerrilla organization in Peru that launched the [[internal conflict in Peru]] in 1980. Widely condemned for its brutality, including violence deployed against [[peasant]]s, [[trade union]] organizers, popularly elected officials and the general civilian population<ref name="Quien habla">Burt, Jo-Marie (2006). "'Quien habla es terrorista': The political use of fear in Fujimori's Peru." ''Latin American Research Review'' '''41''' (3) 32-62.</ref>, Shining Path is on the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]]'s "Designated [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|Foreign Terrorist Organizations]]" list.<ref>US Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)" |
The Communist Party of Peru more commonly known as the [[Shining Path]] (Sendero Luminoso), is a Maoist guerrilla organization in Peru that launched the [[internal conflict in Peru]] in 1980. Widely condemned for its brutality, including violence deployed against [[peasant]]s, [[trade union]] organizers, popularly elected officials and the general civilian population<ref name="Quien habla">Burt, Jo-Marie (2006). "'Quien habla es terrorista': The political use of fear in Fujimori's Peru." ''Latin American Research Review'' '''41''' (3) 32-62.</ref>, Shining Path is on the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]]'s "Designated [[U.S. State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations|Foreign Terrorist Organizations]]" list.<ref>US Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)" October 11, 2005. [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/37191.htm Available online] Accessed 1 February 2006.</ref> Peru, the [[European Union]]<ref>Council Common Position 2005/936/CFSP. March 14, 2005. [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2005/l_340/l_34020051223en00800084.pdf Available online]. Accessed September 27, 2006.</ref>, and [[Canada]]<ref>Government of Canada. "Listed Entities". [http://www.psepc.gc.ca/prg/ns/le/cle-en.asp#sl36 Available online]. Accessed September 27, 2006.</ref> likewise regard Shining Path as a [[Terrorism|terrorist]] group and prohibit providing funding or other financial support. |
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==FARC== |
==FARC== |
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The [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) is a Marxist-Leninist organization in Colombia which has employed vehicle bombings, gas cylinder bombs, killings, landmines, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military. The United States Department of State includes the FARC-EP on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, as does the European Union. |
The [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) is a Marxist-Leninist organization in Colombia which has employed vehicle bombings, gas cylinder bombs, killings, landmines, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military. The United States Department of State includes the FARC-EP on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, as does the European Union. |
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It funds itself primarily through extortion, kidnapping and their participation in the [[illegal drug trade]].<ref>[[BBC News]]. "Colombia's Most Powerful Rebels." |
It funds itself primarily through extortion, kidnapping and their participation in the [[illegal drug trade]].<ref>[[BBC News]]. "Colombia's Most Powerful Rebels." September 19, 2003. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1746777.stm Available online]. Accessed September 1, 2006.</ref><ref>[[International Crisis Group]]. "War and Drugs in Colombia." January 27, 2005. [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3238&l=1 Available online]. Accessed September 1, 2006.</ref> Many of their fronts have also overrun and massacred small communities in order to silence and intimidate those who do not support their activities, enlist new and underage recruits by force, distribute propaganda and, more importantly, to pillage local banks. Businesses operating in rural areas, including agricultural, oil, and mining interests, were required to pay "vaccines" (monthly payments) which "protected" them from subsequent attacks and kidnappings. An additional, albeit less lucrative, source of revenue was highway blockades where guerrillas stopped motorists and buses in order to confiscate jewelry and money. An estimated 20-30 percent of FARC combatants are under 18 years old, with many as young as 12 years old, for a total of around 5000 children.<ref name="Children">[[Human Rights Watch]]. "Colombia: Armed Groups Send Children to War." February 22, 2005. [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/02/22/colomb10202.htm Available online]. Accessed September 1, 2006.</ref>), Children who try to escape the ranks of the guerrillas are punished with torture and death.<ref name="Children"/><ref>Human Rights Watch. "'You'll Learn Not to Cry: Child Combatants in Colombia." September 2003. [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/colombia0903/colombia0903.pdf Available online]. Accessed September 1, 2006.</ref> |
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==Communist Party of the Philippines== |
==Communist Party of the Philippines== |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2008}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2008}} |
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The [[Communist Party of the Philippines]] and it's armed wing, the [[New People's Army]] (CPP/NPA) is a paramilitary group fighting for communist revolution in the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA fights a "protracted people's war" as the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The NPA is classified as a terrorist organization by the Philippine Government, the US, EU and other countries. |
The [[Communist Party of the Philippines]] and it's armed wing, the [[New People's Army]] (CPP/NPA) is a paramilitary group fighting for communist revolution in the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA fights a "protracted people's war" as the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The NPA is classified as a terrorist organization by the Philippine Government, the US, EU and other countries. |
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The NPA's targets often include politicians, military, police, criminals, landlords, business owners and occasionally U.S. agents in the Philippines. |
The NPA's targets often include politicians, military, police, criminals, landlords, business owners and occasionally U.S. agents in the Philippines. Before the Second Rectification Movement, wherein certain "errors" were being rectified, the group conducted a purge, killing thousands of partisans and members on accusations of being deep penetration agent by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine intelligence community. Former NPA fighter Robert Francis Garcia chronicled the wild murders in his book ''To Suffer Thy Comrades'' and organized the Peace Advocates for Truth, Healing and Justice (PATH), a group composed of survivors of the "purges" and the families of victims and their friends and supporters. |
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Out of that rectification movement, the party was split into two, the "Reaffirmists", who uphold the "protracted people's war" and the "mass line"; while the "Rejectionists", who rejects the basic tenets of the party. The latter faction were also known for initiating the mass purges, especially against alleged deep penetration agents before the rectification of errors inside the party system. |
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==November 17== |
==November 17== |
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{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2008}} |
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2008}} |
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[[Revolutionary Organization 17 November]](also known as 17N or N17) is Marxist terrorist organization formed in 1973 in [[Greece]] and believed by many to be have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a number of its members. During its heyday, the urban guerrilla group assassinated 23 people in 103 attacks on U.S., diplomatic and Greek targets. Greek authorities believe spin-off terror groups are still in operation, including Revolutionary Struggle, the group that allegedly fired a rocket propelled grenade at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in January 2007. |
[[Revolutionary Organization 17 November]] (also known as 17N or N17) is Marxist terrorist organization formed in 1973 in [[Greece]] and believed by many to be have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a number of its members. During its heyday, the urban guerrilla group assassinated 23 people in 103 attacks on U.S., diplomatic and Greek targets. Greek authorities believe spin-off terror groups are still in operation, including Revolutionary Struggle, the group that allegedly fired a rocket propelled grenade at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in January 2007. |
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==Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front== |
==Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front== |
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The [[Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)|Communist Party of Nepal]] has been responsible for hundreds of attacks on government and civilian targets. |
The [[Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)|Communist Party of Nepal]] has been responsible for hundreds of attacks on government and civilian targets. |
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After the [[UPF]]'s Maoist wing (CPN-M) performed poorly in elections and was excluded from the election of 1994. The Maoists then turned to [[insurgency]] in order to overthrow Nepal's monarchy, parliamentary democracy and change Nepalese society, including a purge of the nation's elite class, a state takeover of private industry, and collectivization of agriculture. |
After the [[UPF]]'s Maoist wing (CPN-M) performed poorly in elections and was excluded from the election of 1994. The Maoists then turned to [[insurgency]] in order to overthrow Nepal's monarchy, parliamentary democracy and change Nepalese society, including a purge of the nation's elite class, a state takeover of private industry, and collectivization of agriculture.<ref>[http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=3531 MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/nepal/terroristoutfits/index.html Nepal Terrorist Groups - Maoist Insurgents<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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In [[Nepal]] attacks against civilian populations occurred as part of Maoist strategy - Amnesty International states: <blockquote>The CPN (Maoist) has consistently targeted private schools, which it ideologically opposes. On the 14 April 2005 the CPN (Maoist) demanded that all private schools shut down, although this demand was withdrawn on 28 April. Following this demand, it bombed two schools in western Nepal on 15 April, a school in Nepalganj, Banke district on 17 April and a school in Kalyanpur, Chitwan on 21 April. CPN (Maoist) cadres also reportedly threw a bomb at students taking classes in a school in Khara, Rukum district.<ref>[http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa310542005 Nepal: Children caught in the conflict | Amnesty International<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> </blockquote> |
In [[Nepal]] attacks against civilian populations occurred as part of Maoist strategy - Amnesty International states: <blockquote>The CPN (Maoist) has consistently targeted private schools, which it ideologically opposes. On the 14 April 2005 the CPN (Maoist) demanded that all private schools shut down, although this demand was withdrawn on 28 April. Following this demand, it bombed two schools in western Nepal on 15 April, a school in Nepalganj, Banke district on 17 April and a school in Kalyanpur, Chitwan on 21 April. CPN (Maoist) cadres also reportedly threw a bomb at students taking classes in a school in Khara, Rukum district.<ref>[http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa310542005 Nepal: Children caught in the conflict | Amnesty International<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> </blockquote> |
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==Communist Party of India (Maoist) and Naxalites== |
==Communist Party of India (Maoist) and Naxalites== |
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The [[Naxalite]] extremist Communist terror groups in [[India]] have effectively taken over large parts of the rural regions of the country in recent years. Advocating a violent, revolutionary [[Maoist]] ideology, they and their associates in the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] and [[People's War Group|People's War]] are regarded as India's biggest and most pernicious security threat.<ref>http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/crisisprofiles/IN_MAO.htm</ref> |
The [[Naxalite]] extremist Communist terror groups in [[India]] have effectively taken over large parts of the rural regions of the country in recent years. Advocating a violent, revolutionary [[Maoist]] ideology, they and their associates in the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] and [[People's War Group|People's War]] are regarded as India's biggest and most pernicious security threat.<ref>http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/crisisprofiles/IN_MAO.htm</ref> Naxalite Communists have engaged in numerous terrorist attacks and human rights violations in India's "[[Red Corridor]]" (the regions in India that they have taken over)<ref>http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/25kanch.htm</ref><ref>http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7799247</ref>. |
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⚫ | A [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] Cover Story calls the [[Bhamragad]] [[Taluka]] where the [[Madia Gond]] [[Adivasi]]s live, the heart of the naxalite-affected region in [[Maharashtra]].<ref>Guerilla zone, Cover Story, Frontline, Volume 22 - Issue 21, Oct. 08 - 21, 2005 DIONNE BUNSHA in Gadchiroli http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021008701600.htm</ref> |
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==Other examples of left-wing terrorist groups== |
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⚫ | A [[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] Cover Story calls the [[Bhamragad]] [[Taluka]] where the [[Madia Gond]] [[Adivasi]]s live, the heart of the naxalite-affected region in [[Maharashtra]]. |
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* Brigate Rosse ([[Red Brigades]]). |
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* [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)]] |
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* [[Red Army Faction]], also known as Baader-Meinhof Gang |
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* [[Shining Path]] |
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* [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) |
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* [[Revolutionary Organization 17 November]] |
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* [[Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front]] |
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* [[Abu Nidal Organization]], also known as Fatah Revolutionary Council |
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* [[Animal Liberation Front]] |
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* [[Black September (group)|Black September]] |
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* [[Earth Liberation Front]] |
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* [[Irish Republican Army]] |
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* [[Irish National Liberation Army]] |
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* [[Palestine Liberation Front]] |
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* [[Weather Underground]] |
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* [[Sandinista National Liberation Front]] (prior to seizing power) |
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* [[Viet Cong]] |
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* [[Red Terror (Spain)]] |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Active measures]] |
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*[[Poison laboratory of the Soviet secret services]] |
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*[[List of designated terrorist organizations]] |
*[[List of designated terrorist organizations]] |
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*[[State atheism]] |
*[[State atheism]] |
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*[[Communist genocide]] |
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== Further reading == |
== Further reading == |
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* [http://www.tkb.org/IncidentClassModule.jsp?classId=4&pagemode=group&startDate=01/01/1968&endDate=09/26/2007&suiInt=0&domInt=0&filter=0&setFilter=2&detail=0&info=Communist/Socialist List of Communist and Socialist terrorist organizations] by [[MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base]]. |
* [http://www.tkb.org/IncidentClassModule.jsp?classId=4&pagemode=group&startDate=01/01/1968&endDate=09/26/2007&suiInt=0&domInt=0&filter=0&setFilter=2&detail=0&info=Communist/Socialist List of Communist and Socialist terrorist organizations] by [[MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base]]. |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Terrorism}} |
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[[Category:Terrorism by form]] |
[[Category:Terrorism by form]] |
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[[pt:Terrorismo de esquerda]] |
[[pt:Terrorismo de esquerda]] |
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[[ru:Левый терроризм]] |
[[ru:Левый терроризм]] |
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[[ka:კომუნისტური ტერორიზმი]] |
Revision as of 16:04, 14 December 2009
Part of a series on |
Terrorism |
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Communist terrorism (also revolutionary terrorism[citation needed]) is terrorism committed by communist organizations or Communist states against state officials, police, military or civilians to achieve political or ideological objectives by creating fear.[1][2][3] The term is also widely used by anti-communists to describe the political repression conducted by Communist governments against the civilian population such as the Red Terror and Great Terror in the Soviet Union.[4]
History and ideology of Communist terrorism
Origin of Communist terrorism
German Social Democrat Karl Kautsky and other authors trace the origins of Communist terrorism to the "Reign of Terror" of the French Revolution.[5][6]
Views of Marxism theoreticians and leaders
According to Marx, "There is only one way to shorten and ease the convulsions of the old society and the bloody birth pangs of the new - revolutionary terror."'[7] Joseph Stalin wrote a nota bene "Terror is the quickest way to new society" beside this passage in a book by Marx[7]. Marx also believed that "The present generation resembles the Jews whom Moses led through the wilderness. It must not only conquer a new world, it must also perish in order to make a room for the people who are fit for a new world."[8]
Lenin, Lev Trotsky and other leading Bolshevik ideologists recognized mass terror as a necessary weapon during the dictatorship of proletariat and the resulting class struggle. In his book "Defence of Terrorism" Trotsky emphasized that "...the historical tenacity of the bougeoisie is colossal... We are forced to tear off this class and chop it away. The Red Terror is a weapon used against a class that, despite being doomed to destruction, does not want to perish." [9]. On the other hand, they opposed to individual terror, which has been used earlied by Russian "People's Will organization. According to Trotsky, "The damaging of machines by workers, for example, is terrorism in this strict sense of the word. The killing of an employer, a threat to set fire to a factory or a death threat to its owner, an assassination attempt, with revolver in hand, against a government minister—all these are terrorist acts in the full and authentic sense. However, anyone who has an idea of the true nature of international Social Democracy ought to know that it has always opposed this kind of terrorism and does so in the most irreconcilable way."[10]
Many later Marxists, in particular Karl Kautsky, criticized Bolshevik leaders for terrorism tactics. He stated that "among the phenomena for which Bolshevism has been responsible, Terrorism, which begins with the abolition of every form of freedom of the Press, and ends in a system of wholesale execution, is certainly the most striking and the most repellent of all".[11] Kautsky recognized that Red Terror represented a variety of terrorism because it was indiscriminate, intended to frighten the civilian population, and included taking and executing hostages.
Preparations for terrorism and sabotage operations against Western countries
Large-scale sabotage operations have allegedly been prepared by the KGB and GRU against the United States, Canada and Europe, according to the Mitrokhin Archive[12], GRU defectors Victor Suvorov[13] and Stanislav Lunev, and former SVR officer Kouzminov.[14] Among the planned operations were the following:
- Large arms caches were allegedly hidden in many countries for the planned terrorism acts. They were booby-trapped with "Lightning" explosive devices. One of such cache, which was identified by Mitrokhin, exploded when Swiss authorities tried to remove it from woods near Berne. Several others caches (probably not equipped with the "Lightnings") were removed successfully.[15]
- Preparations for nuclear sabotage. Some of the allegedly hidden caches could contain portable tactical nuclear weapons known as RA-115 "suitcase bombs" prepared to assassinate US leaders in the event of war, according to GRU defector Stanislav Lunev.[16] Lunev states that he had personally looked for hiding places for weapons caches in the Shenandoah Valley area[16] and that "it is surprisingly easy to smuggle nuclear weapons into the US" ether across the Mexican border or using a small transport missile that can slip undetected when launched from a Russian airplane.[16]
- Extensive sabotage plans in London, Washington, Paris, Bonn, Rome, and other Western capitals have been reveled by KGB defector Oleg Lyalin in 1971, including plan to flood the London underground and deliver poison capsules to Whitehall. This disclosure triggered mass expulsion of Russian spies from London.[17]
- FSLN leader Carlos Fonseca Amador was described as "a trusted agent" in KGB files. "Sandinista guerrillas formed the basis for a KGB sabotage and intelligence group established in 1966 on the Mexican US border".[18]
- Disruption of the power supply in the entire New York State by KGB sabotage teams, which would be based along the Delaware river, in the Big Spring Park.[19]
- An "immensely detailed" plan to destroy "oil refineries and oil and gas pipelines across Canada from British Columbia to Montreal" (operation "Cedar") has been prepared, which took twelve years to complete.[20]
- A plan for sabotage of Hungry Horse Dam in Montana.[19]
- A detailed plan to destroy the port of New York (target GRANIT); most vulnerable points of the port were marked at maps.[19]
According to Lunev, a probable scenario in the event of war would be poisoning of Potomac River with chemical or biological weapons, "targeting the residents of Washington DC"[16] He also noted that it is "likely" that GRU operatives have placed already "poison supplies near the tributaries to major US reservoirs."[21] That was confirmed by Alexander Kouzminov who was responsible for transporting dangerous pathogens from around the world for Russian program of biological weapons in the 1980s and the beginning of 1990s. He described a variety of biological terrorism acts that would be carried out on the order of Russian President in the event of hostilities, including poisoning public drinking-water supplies and food processing plants.[22]
US Congressman Curt Weldon supported claims by Lunev but noted that Lunev had "exaggerated things" according to the FBI.[23] Searches of the areas identified by Lunev - who admits he never planted any weapons in the US - have been conducted, "but law-enforcement officials have never found such weapons caches, with or without portable nuclear weapons."[24]
Shining Path
The Communist Party of Peru more commonly known as the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), is a Maoist guerrilla organization in Peru that launched the internal conflict in Peru in 1980. Widely condemned for its brutality, including violence deployed against peasants, trade union organizers, popularly elected officials and the general civilian population[25], Shining Path is on the U.S. Department of State's "Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations" list.[26] Peru, the European Union[27], and Canada[28] likewise regard Shining Path as a terrorist group and prohibit providing funding or other financial support.
FARC
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is a Marxist-Leninist organization in Colombia which has employed vehicle bombings, gas cylinder bombs, killings, landmines, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military. The United States Department of State includes the FARC-EP on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, as does the European Union. It funds itself primarily through extortion, kidnapping and their participation in the illegal drug trade.[29][30] Many of their fronts have also overrun and massacred small communities in order to silence and intimidate those who do not support their activities, enlist new and underage recruits by force, distribute propaganda and, more importantly, to pillage local banks. Businesses operating in rural areas, including agricultural, oil, and mining interests, were required to pay "vaccines" (monthly payments) which "protected" them from subsequent attacks and kidnappings. An additional, albeit less lucrative, source of revenue was highway blockades where guerrillas stopped motorists and buses in order to confiscate jewelry and money. An estimated 20-30 percent of FARC combatants are under 18 years old, with many as young as 12 years old, for a total of around 5000 children.[31]), Children who try to escape the ranks of the guerrillas are punished with torture and death.[31][32]
Communist Party of the Philippines
The Communist Party of the Philippines and it's armed wing, the New People's Army (CPP/NPA) is a paramilitary group fighting for communist revolution in the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA fights a "protracted people's war" as the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The NPA is classified as a terrorist organization by the Philippine Government, the US, EU and other countries. The NPA's targets often include politicians, military, police, criminals, landlords, business owners and occasionally U.S. agents in the Philippines. Before the Second Rectification Movement, wherein certain "errors" were being rectified, the group conducted a purge, killing thousands of partisans and members on accusations of being deep penetration agent by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine intelligence community. Former NPA fighter Robert Francis Garcia chronicled the wild murders in his book To Suffer Thy Comrades and organized the Peace Advocates for Truth, Healing and Justice (PATH), a group composed of survivors of the "purges" and the families of victims and their friends and supporters.
Out of that rectification movement, the party was split into two, the "Reaffirmists", who uphold the "protracted people's war" and the "mass line"; while the "Rejectionists", who rejects the basic tenets of the party. The latter faction were also known for initiating the mass purges, especially against alleged deep penetration agents before the rectification of errors inside the party system.
November 17
Revolutionary Organization 17 November (also known as 17N or N17) is Marxist terrorist organization formed in 1973 in Greece and believed by many to be have been disbanded in 2002 after the arrest and trial of a number of its members. During its heyday, the urban guerrilla group assassinated 23 people in 103 attacks on U.S., diplomatic and Greek targets. Greek authorities believe spin-off terror groups are still in operation, including Revolutionary Struggle, the group that allegedly fired a rocket propelled grenade at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in January 2007.
Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front
The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front, is a militant Marxist-Leninist party in Turkey. It is in the terrorist organization lists in the U.S., the UK and the EU.
ETA
ETA is technically a Marxist-Leninist paramilitary Basque nationalist organization, although it's more a secessionist than a Communist group. ETA has committed more than 825 killings since 1968 (an average of some 20 per year) and dozens of kidnappings. More than 750 ETA militants (known as etarras) are held in prison in Spain and France.
Revolutionary Nuclei
Revolutionary Nuclei is a Marxist-Leninist group in Greece, formed in 1995. The group is on the U.S.Department of State's list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and appears on the list of terror organisations of the European Union.
May 19th Communist Movement
The May 19 Communist Organization, also referred to as the May 19 Communist Coalition, was a US-based, self-described revolutionary organization formed by splintered-off members of the Weather Underground. The group was originally known as the New York chapter of the Prairie Fire Organizing Committee (PFOC), an organization devoted to legally promoting the causes of the Weather Underground. Its name was derived from the birthdays of Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X. The May 19 Communist Organization was active from 1978 to 1985.
In 1981 Kathy Boudin, together with several members of the Black Liberation Army, participated in a robbery of a Brinks armored car at the Nanuet Mall, near Nyack, New York. Upon her arrest, Boudin was identified as a member of the May 19 Communist Organization. From 1982 to 1985, a series of bombings were ascribed to the group.
By May 23, 1985, all members of the group had been arrested, with the exception of Elizabeth Duke, who remains a fugitive. At a 1986 trial, six group members were tried and convicted of multiple counts of domestic terrorism.
Red Army Faction (RAF)
The Red Army Faction, was one of postwar West Germany's most active and prominent militant left-wing groups. It described itself as a communist "urban guerrilla" group engaged in armed resistance, while it was described by the West German government as a terrorist group. The RAF was formally founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, Ulrike Meinhof, Irmgard Möller and others.
The Red Army Faction operated from the 1970s to 1998, committing numerous crimes, especially in the autumn of 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as "German Autumn". It was responsible for 34 deaths, including many secondary targets such as chauffeurs and bodyguards, and many injuries in its almost 30 years of existence.
Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist
The Communist Party of Nepal has been responsible for hundreds of attacks on government and civilian targets. After the UPF's Maoist wing (CPN-M) performed poorly in elections and was excluded from the election of 1994. The Maoists then turned to insurgency in order to overthrow Nepal's monarchy, parliamentary democracy and change Nepalese society, including a purge of the nation's elite class, a state takeover of private industry, and collectivization of agriculture.[33][34]
In Nepal attacks against civilian populations occurred as part of Maoist strategy - Amnesty International states:
The CPN (Maoist) has consistently targeted private schools, which it ideologically opposes. On the 14 April 2005 the CPN (Maoist) demanded that all private schools shut down, although this demand was withdrawn on 28 April. Following this demand, it bombed two schools in western Nepal on 15 April, a school in Nepalganj, Banke district on 17 April and a school in Kalyanpur, Chitwan on 21 April. CPN (Maoist) cadres also reportedly threw a bomb at students taking classes in a school in Khara, Rukum district.[35]
Until recently, the Maoist insurgency had been fighting against the Royal Nepalese Army and other supporters of the monarchy. They have since risen to power and began implementing reforms as the legitimate government of Nepal.
Malayan Races Liberation Army
The Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA) was the name given by British security forces to a combatant in the Malayan Emergency, an insurrection and guerrilla war against the British and Malayan administration from 1948-1960 in what is now Malaysia.
MRLA is actually a mistranslation from Chinese, which the organization's leader Chin Peng has corrected to Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). It was a guerrilla force created by the Malayan Communist Party and, to some extent, led and dominated by overseas Chinese communists.
The MNLA was a successor of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army, another guerrilla force which the British had secretly trained and equipped with arms during World War II in the fight against the Japanese Occupation. The Communist Party, which had been banned in the pre-war years, was thereafter granted legal recognition by the British after the war as a reward for its wartime effort, but had secretly kept some of the MPAJA's weapons for future use.
The MCP used violence to support its union organisation, and the British used restrictions, including banishing key communist leaders not born locally, to restrict the MCP. This mutual antagonism climaxed with MCP plans for revolt in 1948, which the British pre-empted by declaring a state of emergency in June 1948.
Defeated in the first Malayan emergency (1948-1960) in the Malayan jungles, and outwitted in Singapore politics by nationalist politician Lee Kuan Yew, by the mid-1960s it was fragmented. a small group of insurgents continued to operate from the Malaysian-Thailand border, until they signed a peace agreement with the Thai and Malaysian Governments in December 1989.
This allowed some of the remaining MCP members to settle in 'Peace Villages' in southern Thailand, others to return to Malaysia. No agreement was signed with Singapore, and Secretary-General Chin Peng (in office 1947 to present) has subsequently been denied the right to return to Malaysia.
Communist Party of India (Maoist) and Naxalites
The Naxalite extremist Communist terror groups in India have effectively taken over large parts of the rural regions of the country in recent years. Advocating a violent, revolutionary Maoist ideology, they and their associates in the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and People's War are regarded as India's biggest and most pernicious security threat.[36] Naxalite Communists have engaged in numerous terrorist attacks and human rights violations in India's "Red Corridor" (the regions in India that they have taken over)[37][38].
A Frontline Cover Story calls the Bhamragad Taluka where the Madia Gond Adivasis live, the heart of the naxalite-affected region in Maharashtra.[39]
Other examples of left-wing terrorist groups
- Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades).
- National Liberation Army (Colombia)
- Red Army Faction, also known as Baader-Meinhof Gang
- Shining Path
- Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
- Revolutionary Organization 17 November
- Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front
- Abu Nidal Organization, also known as Fatah Revolutionary Council
- Animal Liberation Front
- Black September
- Earth Liberation Front
- Irish Republican Army
- Irish National Liberation Army
- Palestine Liberation Front
- Weather Underground
- Sandinista National Liberation Front (prior to seizing power)
- Viet Cong
- Red Terror (Spain)
See also
- Active measures
- Poison laboratory of the Soviet secret services
- List of designated terrorist organizations
- State atheism
- Communist genocide
Further reading
- Deletant, Dennis (1999) Communist Terror in Romania, C. Hurst & Co, ISBN 1850653860
- Adelman, Jonathan (1984) Terror and Communist Politics: The Role of the Secret Police in Communist States, Westview Press, ISBN 0865312931
- Evgeni Genchev (2003) Tales from the Dark: Testimonies about the Communist Terror, ACET 2003, ISBN 9549320014
References
- ^ Propaganda Redux. Take it from this old KGB hand: The left is abetting America's enemies with its intemperate attacks on President Bush. by Ion Mihai Pacepa, Wall Street Journal, August 7, 2007
- ^ "The notion of terrorism is fairly straightforward — it is ideologically or politically motivated violence directed against civilian targets." said Professor Martin Rudner, director of the Canadian Centre of Intelligence and Security Studies at Ottawa's Carleton University." Humphreys, Adrian. "One official's 'refugee' is another's 'terrorist'", National Post, January 17, 2006.
- ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, Glossary:Communist/Socialist, accessed 6 October 2007
- ^ Nicolas Werth, Karel Bartošek, Jean-Louis Panné, Jean-Louis Margolin, Andrzej Paczkowski, Stéphane Courtois, The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression, Harvard University Press, 1999, hardcover, 858 pages, ISBN 0-674-07608-7
- ^ Terrorism and Communism by Karl Kautsky. Kautsky said: "It is, in fact, a widely spread idea that Terrorism belongs to the very essence of revolution, and that whoever wants a revolution must somehow come to some sort of terms with terrorism. As proof of this assertion, over and over again the great French Revolution has been cited." (Chapter 1)
- ^ The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- ^ a b Edvard Radzinsky Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia's Secret Archives (1997) ISBN 0-385-47954-9
- ^ Richard Pipes Communism: A History (2001) ISBN 0-812-96864-6, pages 74-75.
- ^ "Black book of Communism", page 749
- ^ Leon Trotsky (1911). "Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism". Marxists.org.
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ignored (help) - ^ Karl Kautsky, Terrorism and Communism Chapter VIII, The Communists at Work, The Terror
- ^ Mitrokhin Archive, The KGB in Europe, page 472-476
- ^ Victor Suvorov, Spetsnaz, 1987, Hamish Hamilton Ltd, ISBN 0-241-11961-8
- ^ Alexander Kouzminov Biological Espionage: Special Operations of the Soviet and Russian Foreign Intelligence Services in the West, Greenhill Books, 2006, ISBN 1-853-67646-2 [1]
- ^ The KGB in Europe, page 475-476
- ^ a b c d Stanislav Lunev. Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1998. ISBN 0-89526-390-4 These portable bombs can last for many years if wired to an electric source. “In case there is a loss of power, there is a battery backup. If the battery runs low, the weapon has a transmitter that sends a coded message – either by satellite or directly to a GRU post at a Russian embassy or consulate.”
- ^ KGB in Europe, page 499-500
- ^ The KGB in Europe, page 472-473
- ^ a b c The KGB in Europe, page 473
- ^ The KGB in Europe, page 473-474
- ^ Lunev, pages 29-30
- ^ Kusminov, pages 35-36. At the end of the 1980s, the Soviet Union "was the only country in the world that could start and win a global biological war, something we had already established that the West was not ready for.", according to Kouzminov
- ^ Nicholas Horrock, "FBI focusing on portable nuke threat", UPI (20 December 2001).
- ^ Steve Goldstein and Chris Mondics, "Some Weldon-backed allegations unconfirmed; Among them: A plot to crash planes into a reactor, and missing suitcase-size Soviet atomic weapons." Philadelphia Inquirer (15 March 2006) A7.
- ^ Burt, Jo-Marie (2006). "'Quien habla es terrorista': The political use of fear in Fujimori's Peru." Latin American Research Review 41 (3) 32-62.
- ^ US Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)" October 11, 2005. Available online Accessed 1 February 2006.
- ^ Council Common Position 2005/936/CFSP. March 14, 2005. Available online. Accessed September 27, 2006.
- ^ Government of Canada. "Listed Entities". Available online. Accessed September 27, 2006.
- ^ BBC News. "Colombia's Most Powerful Rebels." September 19, 2003. Available online. Accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ International Crisis Group. "War and Drugs in Colombia." January 27, 2005. Available online. Accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ a b Human Rights Watch. "Colombia: Armed Groups Send Children to War." February 22, 2005. Available online. Accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ Human Rights Watch. "'You'll Learn Not to Cry: Child Combatants in Colombia." September 2003. Available online. Accessed September 1, 2006.
- ^ MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base
- ^ Nepal Terrorist Groups - Maoist Insurgents
- ^ Nepal: Children caught in the conflict | Amnesty International
- ^ http://www.alertnet.org/printable.htm?URL=/db/crisisprofiles/IN_MAO.htm
- ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/25kanch.htm
- ^ http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7799247
- ^ Guerilla zone, Cover Story, Frontline, Volume 22 - Issue 21, Oct. 08 - 21, 2005 DIONNE BUNSHA in Gadchiroli http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021008701600.htm
8. Pipes allegedly quotes Marx - where then is the reference to Marx's own writing? There is none - which is suspicious, is it not?