Page 363 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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State-Sponsored Terrorism———343

The methods terrorist
groups use can make state
sponsorship of terrorism
extremely controversial even
in the sponsoring state. In the
early 1980s, for example, the
anticommunist Nicaraguan
Contras were linked to tor-
ture, rape, and assassina-
tions. U.S. support of the
Contras became so contro-
versial that Congress essen-
tially outlawed such aid; the
decision by members of the
administration of U.S. presi-
dent Ronald Reagan to con-
tinue support regardless led
to a major scandal.
Terrorist groups often
find they have little influ-
ence with sponsor nations.
Because terrorism is so
The Zhawar Kili Support Complex in Afghanistan bombed by U.S. forces on August 20, controversial, state sponsor-
1998, in retaliation for the East African embassy bombings ship often vanishes when it
Source: U.S. Department of Defense. becomes public knowledge,
or when a new administra-
tion comes to power. Even
United States. The United States would then provide states that are very open to supporting terrorism may
arms and assistance to the government to help put not be willing or able to provide the amount of fund-
down the Soviet-backed insurgent groups. An armed ing needed—especially if the state is trying to support
conflict or “proxy war” often resulted within the third several groups to advance its specific ideology. As a
nation. Supporting terrorism sometimes leads to out- result, most well-established terrorist groups find
right war. For example, in the 1990s Pakistan sup- other sources of funds, from narcotics to kidnap-and-
ported militant Muslim groups in the disputed state of ransom schemes to networks of private supporters.
Jammu and Kashmir, which is largely controlled by A state’s sponsorship of a terrorist group can also
India. These groups attacked Indian targets, raising the create public relations problems for the group if it
hostility level between the two countries to the point of is seen as simply the pawn of that country. Indeed,
battle between Pakistani and Indian troops. a common tactic of governments battling terrorist
Terrorist groups can be very hard to control. groups is to emphasize any support by foreign states,
Pakistan essentially lost control over many of the mil- implying both that the group is operating at the behest
itant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir; they of foreign powers and that it lacks popular support in
became more radical and more violent and eventually the country where it operates.
viewed the government of Pakistan as yet another Nonetheless, state support can be crucial to a ter-
enemy. Likewise, while the anti-Soviet mujahideen, rorist group and can transform a relatively ineffective
supported by the United States in the 1980s, success- organization into a serious threat. Nations often can
fully defended the country from a Soviet invasion, the provide great sums of money that groups need to buy
country subsequently became a haven for groups like equipment and supplies; states also have well-devel-
Al Qaeda that considered the United States to be just oped militaries that can train and provide expertise to
as much of an enemy to its radical Muslim agenda as terrorists. A state can give away or sell weaponry and
the Soviet Union. explosives that ordinarily would be very hard for a