Institutionalizing State-Sponsored Terrorism: A Decade of Violence in Argentine Terrorism; Revolution and Military Reaction, 1970-1979.
Abstract
This thesis examines the institutionalization of violence in the history of the Republic of Argentina, and pays special attention to the institutional terrorism of the decade of the 1970's. The history of Argentina clearly shows that legalized violence has always been a method of gaining and maintaining political power in this nation. In the mid-1970's, Argentina's coercive forces responded to the most dangerous terrorist threat in its history with its own brand of institutionalized state-sponsored terror. The conflict between terrorist forces and the Argentine military and police forces, known as the "Dirty War", resulted in the "disappearance" of between 8,000 and 30,000 persons. Subsequent investigations revealed thousands of accounts of brutal murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, and illegal detention, perpetrated by the legal coercive forces. Some of the top military and police leaders were convicted in federal court, and served prison sentences until their pardon and release in 1991. This thesis first examines Argentina's history of violence and military elitism, then takes a closer look at the terrorist threat of the early 1970's and the military response from 1975 to 1979. It ends by addressing the issues of accountability and judgment of the military officers responsible for human rights abuses, and recent efforts for reconciliation in Argentina.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 27, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA356239
Entities
People
- Wayne P. Magnusson
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology