Russia a State Sponsor of Terrorism?

by Stephen Lendman

State-sponsored terrorism — the most common kind — is criminal violence with intent to intimidate or coerce a nation state and its people to bend to the will of a higher power.

Webster's dictionary defines terrorism as follows:

1. "The unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion."

2. "Violent and intimidating gang activity street terrorism."

US law defines international terrorism as "violent acts or acts dangerous to human life…(that)  intimidate or coerce a civilian population…influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion…(and engage in) mass destruction."

The US Army's Operational Concept for Terrorism calls it "the calculated use of violence or threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature…through intimidation, coercion, or instilling fear."

Far and away as MLK explained, hegemon USA is "(t)he greatest purveyor of violence in the world."

It's the most egregious perpetrator of state terrorism at home and worldwide.

Other major perpetrators include Britain, other NATO regimes and apartheid Israel.

Turning reality on its head, the State Department falsely designated nonbelligerent, nonthreatening Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria as state sponsors of terrorism.

Hegemon USA's war on terrorism has always been a war OF state terrorism against invented enemies threatening no one.

Historian Howard Zinn once stressed the following:

"How can you make war on terrorism, if war is terrorism." 

If "you respond to terrorism with (more) terrorism…you multiply (its amount) in the world." 

"Governments are terrorists on an enormously large scale" by war-making. 

Scholar/activist Eqbal Ahmad said the following in his book, titled "Terrorism, Theirs and Ours:

"Our first job is to define the damn thing."

"Name it, give it a description of some kind, other than (the) "moral equivalent of (our) founding fathers (or) a moral outrage to Western civilization."

Eqbal's definition includes the following:

State terrorism by nations against other states, groups or individuals, including state-sponsored assassinations.

Religious terrorism like the papal crusades or terrorizing Palestinians by Zionist extremists.

"All kinds of crim(inal) terror."

Pathological terrorism by the deranged.

Political terrorism by one nation against others.

In an article, titled "Comprehending Terror," Eqbal defined it as follows:

"The illegal use of violence for the purposes of influencing somebody's behavior, inflicting punishment, or taking revenge" — most often committed by one state against others. 

Eqbal notably denounced US terrorism — what he called its rage "to be sheriff, judge and hangman, all at one and the same time." 

In his book, titled "The Real Terror Network," Edward Herman said it pursues a free market/anything goes "development model" for corporate gain by whatever it takes to achieve maximum revenues, profits, market share and related objectives.

According to Politico, pro-war, anti-peace, anti-rule of law governance, pro-state terrorism Nancy Pelosi called for interventionist Blinken to "designate Russia a state sponsor or terrorism — or…Congress will."

At this time, the State Department alone takes this diabolical step against invented US enemies.

In May, GOP Senator Lindsey Graham and undemocratic Dem Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced hostile to Russia legislation.

Along with falsely accusing the country and its leadership of engaging in acts of terrorism (sic), it called on interventionist Blinken to make it official.

Ignoring indisputable war crimes by Ukrainian Nazis, the proposed measure falsely accused Russia of "generat(ing) and incit(ing) violence against civilians" — a longstanding US-dominated NATO and apartheid Israel high crime.

On Thursday, Pelosi claimed that (falsely) designating Russia a state-sponsor or terrorism is "long overdue (sic)."

Russia already is the world's most illegally sanctioned nation.

Politico explained that designating it a state sponsor or terrorism "compels (the Biden regime and its successors) to restrict foreign assistance, curtail defense exports and sales, place controls on exports of dual-use items, and more." 

According to the State Department, the designation also "implicates other sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with (US designated) state sponsors."

US sanctions war on Russia and related hostile actions already, unacceptably and illegally treat the nation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Making it official won't accomplish more than what's already done.

Russia receives no US foreign assistance.

Defense related exports to the country are banned.

Significant financial restrictions were also imposed on Moscow by the empire of lies.

The State Department explained that US sanctions on Russia "are the same steps that would be entailed by the designation of a state sponsor of terrorism."

Making it official would be largely symbolic. 

With all-out US/Western sanctions and proxy hot war on Russia, falsely designating the country a state sponsor of terrorism may be the next shoe to drop anyway.

If congressional legislation is adopted to designate Russia this way, interventionist Blinken may do the same thing.