Difference between revisions of "US/Assassinations since 1945"
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| + | The US government has carried out many '''foreign [[assassination]]s since [[1945]]''', also [[US Bombing campaigns since 1945|bombings]] and other [[US Sponsored Regime-change efforts since 1945|efforts at "regime change"]]. | ||
| + | |||
==Countries where the US has assassinated or attempted to assassinate a movement leader== | ==Countries where the US has assassinated or attempted to assassinate a movement leader== | ||
| − | The US has made more than 50 attempts to [[assassinate]] political party leaders according to [[William Blum]] in his 2003 book ''[[Killing Hope|Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions since World War II]]'' | + | The US has made more than 50 attempts to [[assassinate]] political party leaders according to [[William Blum]] in his 2003 book ''[[Killing Hope|Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions since World War II]]'', which is "far and away the best book on the topic" according to [[Noam Chomsky]],<ref>http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_kevin_ba_080507_william_blum_to_noam.htm</ref> and "the single most useful summary of CIA history" in the opinion of former CIA officer [[John Stockwell]].<ref>http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/RepresentativePress/binLadenphoto.html&date=2009-10-25+09:44:13</ref> All such operations are illegal, performed for undisclosed reasons by undisclosed people, and rarely if ever is a clear [[humanitarian]] benefit identifiable. |
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| − | All such operations are illegal and | ||
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" | ||
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| 1965 || [[Dominican Republic]] || [[Francisco Caamaño]], opposition leader || Maybe | | 1965 || [[Dominican Republic]] || [[Francisco Caamaño]], opposition leader || Maybe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1965 || [[Zaire]] || President overthrown and replaced by Mobutu, see entry for 1961, deposing of [[Lumumba]]. || No | + | | 1965 || [[Zaire]] || President overthrown and replaced by Mobutu, see entry for 1961, deposing of [[Patrice Lumumba]]. || No |
|- | |- | ||
| [[1960s]] || [[Cuba]] || [[Raúl Castro]], high official in government || Maybe | | [[1960s]] || [[Cuba]] || [[Raúl Castro]], high official in government || Maybe | ||
| Line 68: | Line 66: | ||
| 1963 || [[South Vietnam]] || [[Ngo Dinh Diem]], President. Successful attempt to replace one [[puppet leader]] with another. || Maybe | | 1963 || [[South Vietnam]] || [[Ngo Dinh Diem]], President. Successful attempt to replace one [[puppet leader]] with another. || Maybe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1963 || [[Iraq]] || The CIA supports the Ba'athists, including Saddam Hussein, in a coup in Iraq against the Qassim government.<ref>[http://readthese.blogspot.com/2003_12_15_readthese_archive.html A Tyrant 40 Years in the Making] New York Times March 14 2003.</ref><ref>''The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq'' Princeton University Press. 1978.</ref><ref>''Iraq Since 1958'' Peter and Marion Sluglett. 1990.</ref> || No <ref name="church">Regarding the CIA's "Health Alteration Committee's work in Iraq, see U.S. Senate's Church Committee Interim Report on Assassination, page 181, Note 1.</ref> | + | | 1963 || [[Iraq]] || The CIA supports the Ba'athists, including [[Saddam Hussein]], in a coup in Iraq against the Qassim government.<ref>[http://readthese.blogspot.com/2003_12_15_readthese_archive.html A Tyrant 40 Years in the Making] ''[[New York Times]]'', March 14 2003.</ref><ref>''The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq'' Princeton University Press. 1978.</ref><ref>''Iraq Since 1958'' Peter and Marion Sluglett. 1990.</ref> || No <ref name="church">Regarding the CIA's "Health Alteration Committee's work in Iraq, see U.S. Senate's Church Committee Interim Report on Assassination, page 181, Note 1.</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| 1961 || [[Dominican Republic]] || Gen. Rafael Trujillo, dictator since 1930 shot dead in 1961.<ref>[http://history-matters.com/archive/church/reports/ir/contents.htm Report: Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders] History Matters website.</ref><ref>[http://history-matters.com/archive/church/reports/ir/pdf/ChurchIR_3D_Trujillo.pdf Church Committee Report - Trujillo] </ref> || Yes | | 1961 || [[Dominican Republic]] || Gen. Rafael Trujillo, dictator since 1930 shot dead in 1961.<ref>[http://history-matters.com/archive/church/reports/ir/contents.htm Report: Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders] History Matters website.</ref><ref>[http://history-matters.com/archive/church/reports/ir/pdf/ChurchIR_3D_Trujillo.pdf Church Committee Report - Trujillo] </ref> || Yes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1961 || [[Zaire]] || In June 1960, Patrice Lumumba became the Congo's first prime minister after independence from Belgium. Calls for the nation's economic liberation and is branded a communist. Eleven days later, the mineral rich Katanga province, owned by Belgium and prominent Eisenhower administration officials, seceedes. Lumumba dismissed in September at the instigation of the United States, and in Jan 1961 assassinated at the | + | | 1961 || [[Zaire]] || In June 1960, [[Patrice Lumumba]] became the Congo's first prime minister after independence from Belgium. Calls for the nation's economic liberation and is branded a communist. Eleven days later, the mineral rich Katanga province, owned by Belgium and prominent Eisenhower administration officials, seceedes. Lumumba dismissed in September at the instigation of the United States, and in Jan 1961 [[assassinated]] at the request of [[Dwight Eisenhower]]. Several years of civil conflict and chaos end in the CIA backed deposing of President Joseph Kasavubu and the 1965 accession to power of the CIA linked Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu ruled and robbed the country for more than 30 years (a "kleptocracy") while the Zairian people lived in abject poverty. || No |
|- | |- | ||
| 1961 || [[Haiti]] || Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, leader || Maybe | | 1961 || [[Haiti]] || Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, leader || Maybe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1950s-<br>[[1970s]] || [[Costa Rica]] || José Figueres, President, two attempts on his life || Maybe | + | | 1950s-<br>[[1970s]] || [[Costa Rica]] || [[José Figueres]], President, two attempts on his life || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1960 || [[Iraq]] || Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem, leader || Maybe | + | | 1960 || [[Iraq]] || Brig. Gen. [[Abdul Karim Kassem]], leader || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1959 || [[Cambodia]] || Norodom Sihanouk, leader. And again | + | | 1959 || [[Cambodia]] || [[Norodom Sihanouk]], leader. And again in 1963. And again in 1969. || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| 1957 || [[Egypt]] || [[Gamal Abdul Nasser]], President || Maybe | | 1957 || [[Egypt]] || [[Gamal Abdul Nasser]], President || Maybe | ||
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| 1951 || [[Iran]] || [[Mohammed Mossadegh]], Prime Minister || No | | 1951 || [[Iran]] || [[Mohammed Mossadegh]], Prime Minister || No | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1951 || [[North Korea]] || Kim Il Sung, Premier || Maybe | + | | 1951 || [[North Korea]] || [[Kim Il Sung]], Premier || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[1950s]] (mid) || [[Philippines]] || Claro M. Recto, opposition leader || Maybe | + | | [[1950s]] (mid) || [[Philippines]] || [[Claro M. Recto]], opposition leader || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| 1950s, 1962 || [[Indonesia]] || Sukarno, President || Maybe | | 1950s, 1962 || [[Indonesia]] || Sukarno, President || Maybe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[1950s]] || [[China]] || Prime minister Chou En-lai, several attempts on his life || Maybe | + | | [[1950s]] || [[China]] || Prime minister [[Chou En-lai]], several attempts on his life || Maybe |
|- | |- | ||
| [[1950s]] || [[Germany]] || CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of more than 200 political figures in West Germany to be "put out of the way" in the event of a Soviet invasion || Maybe | | [[1950s]] || [[Germany]] || CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of more than 200 political figures in West Germany to be "put out of the way" in the event of a Soviet invasion || Maybe | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 1949 || [[Korea]] || Kim Koo, opposition leader || No | + | | 1949 || [[Korea]] || [[Kim Koo]], opposition leader || No |
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 16:19, 13 March 2017
 | |
| Date | 1945 - Present |
|---|---|
| Perpetrators | US |
The US government has carried out many foreign assassinations since 1945, also bombings and other efforts at "regime change".
Contents
Countries where the US has assassinated or attempted to assassinate a movement leader
The US has made more than 50 attempts to assassinate political party leaders according to William Blum in his 2003 book Killing Hope: U.S. Military and C.I.A. Interventions since World War II, which is "far and away the best book on the topic" according to Noam Chomsky,[1] and "the single most useful summary of CIA history" in the opinion of former CIA officer John Stockwell.[2] All such operations are illegal, performed for undisclosed reasons by undisclosed people, and rarely if ever is a clear humanitarian benefit identifiable.
| Date | Country | Details | Disputed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Pakistan | Osama Bin Laden. Killing of a captured man. | No |
| 2003 | Iraq | Saddam Hussein and his two sons. Two killings and a semi-judicial execution. | Maybe |
| 2002 | Afghanistan | Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Islamic leader and warlord | Maybe |
| 1993 | Somalia | Mohamed Farah Aideed, prominent clan leader. Failed attempt but he died later. | Maybe |
| 1991 | Iraq | Saddam Hussein, leader. Attempt to kill him? | Maybe |
| 1985 | Lebanon | Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Shiite leader (80 people killed in the attempt) | Maybe |
| 1984 | Nicaragua | The nine comandantes of the Sandinista National Directorate | Maybe |
| 1983 | Nicaragua | Miguel d'Escoto, Foreign Minister | Maybe |
| 1983 | Morocco | Gen. Ahmed Dlimi, Army commander | Maybe |
| 1982 | Iran | Ayatollah Khomeini, leader | Maybe |
| 1980- 1986 |
Libya | Muammar Qaddafi, leader, several plots and attempts upon his life | Maybe |
| 1976 | Jamaica | Michael Manley, Prime Minister | Maybe |
| 1976 | Chile | exiled Chilean Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier is blown up in Washington DC, part of Operation Condor with at least tacit US support | ? |
| 1975 | Zaire | Mobutu Sese Seko, President. | Maybe |
| 1972 | Panama | General Manuel Noriega, Chief of Intelligence. Captured alive and been imprisoned ever since. | Maybe |
| 1970s, 1981 |
Panama | General Omar Torrijos, leader | Maybe |
| 1970 | Chile | Gen. Rene Schneider, Commander-in-Chief of Army. | Maybe |
| 1970 | Chile | Salvador Allende, President unsuccesful US supported coup "Project FUBELT" | No |
| 1967 | Bolivia | Che Guevara, revolutionary leader. CIA-organized military operation ends in capture and execution by the Bolivian Army. | Maybe |
| 1965 - 1956 |
France | Charles de Gaulle, President | Maybe |
| 1965 | Dominican Republic | Francisco Caamaño, opposition leader | Maybe |
| 1965 | Zaire | President overthrown and replaced by Mobutu, see entry for 1961, deposing of Patrice Lumumba. | No |
| 1960s | Cuba | Raúl Castro, high official in government | Maybe |
| 1960s - 1970s |
Cuba | Fidel Castro, President, many attempts on his life including poisoned cigars. | No |
| 1963 | South Vietnam | Ngo Dinh Diem, President. Successful attempt to replace one puppet leader with another. | Maybe |
| 1963 | Iraq | The CIA supports the Ba'athists, including Saddam Hussein, in a coup in Iraq against the Qassim government.[3][4][5] | No [6] |
| 1961 | Dominican Republic | Gen. Rafael Trujillo, dictator since 1930 shot dead in 1961.[7][8] | Yes |
| 1961 | Zaire | In June 1960, Patrice Lumumba became the Congo's first prime minister after independence from Belgium. Calls for the nation's economic liberation and is branded a communist. Eleven days later, the mineral rich Katanga province, owned by Belgium and prominent Eisenhower administration officials, seceedes. Lumumba dismissed in September at the instigation of the United States, and in Jan 1961 assassinated at the request of Dwight Eisenhower. Several years of civil conflict and chaos end in the CIA backed deposing of President Joseph Kasavubu and the 1965 accession to power of the CIA linked Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu ruled and robbed the country for more than 30 years (a "kleptocracy") while the Zairian people lived in abject poverty. | No |
| 1961 | Haiti | Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, leader | Maybe |
| 1950s- 1970s |
Costa Rica | José Figueres, President, two attempts on his life | Maybe |
| 1960 | Iraq | Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem, leader | Maybe |
| 1959 | Cambodia | Norodom Sihanouk, leader. And again in 1963. And again in 1969. | Maybe |
| 1957 | Egypt | Gamal Abdul Nasser, President | Maybe |
| 1955 | India | Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister | Maybe |
| 1951 | Iran | Mohammed Mossadegh, Prime Minister | No |
| 1951 | North Korea | Kim Il Sung, Premier | Maybe |
| 1950s (mid) | Philippines | Claro M. Recto, opposition leader | Maybe |
| 1950s, 1962 | Indonesia | Sukarno, President | Maybe |
| 1950s | China | Prime minister Chou En-lai, several attempts on his life | Maybe |
| 1950s | Germany | CIA/Neo-Nazi hit list of more than 200 political figures in West Germany to be "put out of the way" in the event of a Soviet invasion | Maybe |
| 1949 | Korea | Kim Koo, opposition leader | No |
Recent Developments
The CIA has long had a policy of assassinating individuals for a mixture of reasons. Formerly, these attacks were covert, but increasingly, the US government is open about assassinating anyone whom it pleases. The official narrative, however, avoids the word assassination, preferring instead the euphemism "targeted killing". Attacks are being made on individuals or leaders of quite small groups who are post hoc designated "terrorists". Since 2011 there have been killings of nuclear technicians in Iran. Drones are proving increasingly effective at killing targets, and are even being programmed to make autonomous decisions about whom to kill.
See also
Related Document
| Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document:Harold Pinter - 2005 Nobel Prize lecture | speech | 7 December 2005 | Harold Pinter | Harold Pinter's Nobel Prize acceptance speech made by video-link to the ceremony in Norway because of his illness. He was in the terminal stages of cancer. The speech is inspirational in its scathing rejection of Western (especially US) foreign policy objectives and methods. |
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References
- ↑ http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_kevin_ba_080507_william_blum_to_noam.htm
- ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/RepresentativePress/binLadenphoto.html&date=2009-10-25+09:44:13
- ↑ A Tyrant 40 Years in the Making New York Times, March 14 2003.
- ↑ The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq Princeton University Press. 1978.
- ↑ Iraq Since 1958 Peter and Marion Sluglett. 1990.
- ↑ Regarding the CIA's "Health Alteration Committee's work in Iraq, see U.S. Senate's Church Committee Interim Report on Assassination, page 181, Note 1.
- ↑ Report: Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders History Matters website.
- ↑ Church Committee Report - Trujillo
