• International state-sponsored terrorism
• Words to Know
• The Cold War

Governments are often the targets of terrorism, but they can also sponsor terrorists or use the tactics of terrorism. There are two broad definitions of "state-sponsored terrorism." One refers to governments that support or conduct terrorism against other governments. The other refers to governments that conduct terrorist acts against their own citizens.

International state-sponsored terrorism

The U.S. State Department, which is in charge of the United States's relationships with other countries, maintains a list of nations accused of conducting state-sponsored terrorism. The purpose of this list, the government says, is to put pressure on nations that either...