Can the state commit acts of terrorism?: An opinion and some qualitative replies to a questionnaire

Understanding and combating terrorism: Definitions, origins and strategies

“…Some even support the possibility that state terrorism is a valid term. For instance, had he engaged with articles by David Claridge (1996) and Peter Alan Sproat (1997) that address the issue of state terrorism, Grosscup would have developed a much more nuanced conceptual framework for his argument. Igor Primoratz would contend that state violence is of a higher level of immorality because states are bound by legal conventions (Primoratz 2002).…”

State terrorism: are academics deliberately ignoring it?

“…Hoffman (2006) argues there is little to no value in studying state violence and non-state violence under the same label, as terrorism is only carried out by non-state actors. The perception that it has little value is reinforced by the study by Sproat (1997), as according to him a state cannot engage in terrorism; this label is inaccurate. Thus researching the possibility of the state being a terrorist actor has no value, as the label "terrorist" is not appropriate.…”