Death squad

A death squad is an extra-judicial group whose members execute or assassinate persons they believe to be politically unreliable or undesirable. They differ from terrorist groups in that they are endorsed by governments, usually in order to eliminate political opponents; some are directly created by such governments, others are supported, protected, or merely not discouraged. Dictatorships, especially totalitarian ones, have used to kill whole groups of people who do not fit their political ideology, religion, or race (see genocide).

Related Topics:
Assassinate - Dictatorship - Totalitarian - Ideology - Religion - Race - Genocide

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The term "death squad" has more recently been extended (especially by journalists) to small groups organized by terrorist organisations such as the IRA. Steven Vincent, an American free-lance journalist recently murdered in Iraq, had previously argued that the anti-government forces there should properly be called death squads rather than "insurgents" or "guerillas."

Related Topics:
IRA - Steven Vincent

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