Dirty War (Noun)
Meaning
An offensive conducted by secret police or the military of a regime against revolutionary and terrorist insurgents and marked by the use of kidnapping and torture and murder with civilians often being the victims; "thousands of people disappeared and were killed during Argentina's dirty war in the late 1970s".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The military junta was responsible for waging a dirty war against leftist insurgents and their suspected sympathizers in the rural areas.
- Many families in Argentina are still seeking justice for their loved ones who were killed or disappeared during the country's dirty war.
- Human rights organizations accused the government of using a dirty war strategy to crush the separatist movement, leading to numerous civilian casualties.
- During the dictator's rule, a dirty war was conducted against political dissidents and perceived threats to the regime.
- Researchers are working to uncover the extent of state involvement in the dirty war, including evidence of atrocities committed against ordinary citizens.