Editing Death squad (section)

== History ==
Although the term "death squad" was not widely used until the activities of such groups became widely known in [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]] during the 1970s and 80s, death squads have been employed under different guises throughout history. The term was first used by the [[Fascism|fascist]] [[Iron Guard]] in [[Romania]]. It officially installed Iron Guard death squads in 1936 in order to kill political enemies.<ref>Laignel-Lavastine, Alexandra. Cioran, Eliade, Ionesco. L'oubli du fascisme. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2002, 116.</ref> It was also used during the [[Battle of Algiers (1957)|Battle of Algiers]] by [[Paul Aussaresses]].<ref>Interview of [[Paul Aussaresses]] by [[Marie-Monique Robin]] in ''Escadrons de la mort – l'école française'' ([http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/2926696/ See here, starting at 8min38] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522013436/http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/2926696/ |date=22 May 2009 }})</ref>

=== Cold War usage ===
In [[Latin America]], death squads first appeared in [[Brazil]] where a group called ''Esquadrão da Morte'' (literally "Death Squad") emerged in the 1960s; they subsequently spread to [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] in the 1970s, and they were later used in Central America during the 1980s. Argentina used extrajudicial killings as a way of crushing the liberal and communist opposition to the [[military junta]] during the "[[Dirty War]]" of the 1970s. For example, [[Alianza Anticomunista Argentina]] was a far-right death squad mainly active during the "Dirty War". The Chilean military regime of 1973–1990 also committed such killings. See [[Operation Condor]] for examples.

During the [[Salvadoran Civil War]], death squads became notorious following the assassination of Archbishop [[Óscar Romero]] by a [[sniper]] as he said [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] inside a convent chapel on 24 March 1980. In December 1980, three American nuns, [[Ita Ford]], [[Dorothy Kazel]], and [[Maura Clarke]], and a lay worker, [[Jean Donovan]], were [[gang rape]]d and murdered by a military unit later found to have been carrying out orders. Death squads were instrumental in killing hundreds of real and suspected Communists. Priests who were spreading [[liberation theology]], such as Father [[Rutilio Grande]], were also targeted. The murderers in this case were found to have been soldiers from the Salvadoran military, which was receiving U.S. funding and had U.S. [[military advisors]] during the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration. These events prompted outrage in the U.S. and led to a temporary ending of military aid at the end of his presidency.<ref>{{cite news | first=Juan | last=de Onas | title=U.S. Suspends New Aid to El Salvador until Deaths Are Clarified | newspaper=New York Times | date=6 December 1980 | page=1}}</ref>

Honduras also had death squads active through the 1980s, the most notorious of which was the army unit [[Battalion 316]]. Hundreds of people, teachers, politicians, and union leaders were assassinated by government-backed forces. Battalion 316 received substantial training from the United States [[Central Intelligence Agency]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-negroponte1a-story.html|title=When a wave of torture and murder staggered a small U.S. ally, truth was a casualty|newspaper=Baltimore Sun|date=11 June 1995|access-date=13 October 2015|archive-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216211314/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-negroponte1a-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Southeast Asia]], extrajudicial killings were conducted by both sides during the [[Vietnam War]].

=== Recent use ===
{{As of|2010}}, death squads have continued to be active in [[Chechnya]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/russian-death-squads-pulverise-chechens-v99wwqbwtn2|title=Russian death squads 'pulverise' Chechens|location=London|work=[[The Times]]|first=Mark|last=Franchetti|date=26 April 2009|access-date=1 May 2010|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803140025/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russian-death-squads-pulverise-chechens-v99wwqbwtn2|url-status=live}}</ref>