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Foreign Government Agents and State-Sponsored Killings in the United States
The image credit goes to Bloomberg via Getty Images for capturing the U.S. Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17.
The scenario of foreign government agents planning assassinations within the United States may seem like a plot from a Hollywood thriller. Over the past two decades, there have been notable suspected instances of state-sponsored killings that have garnered global attention. For instance, the poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive isotope in London in 2006 and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi diplomatic facility in Istanbul in 2018 are two such examples.
Recently, the discovery of the deceased Russian pilot, Maksim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion, in southern Spain has raised concerns. While the Kremlin refrained from commenting on the matter, speculations suggest that Kuzminov’s death might have been an assassination ordered by Russia.
Although these incidents did not occur within the United States, there has been a surge in assassination plots on American soil in the past few years. According to the Justice Department, they have thwarted four such plots in the last 18 months.
Matthew Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, highlighted the escalating threat posed by authoritarian regimes aiming to carry out acts of repression beyond their borders, including within the United States. In 2022, when announcing charges in one of the cases, Olsen emphasized the government’s allegations against a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for conspiring to assassinate former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton.
Olsen condemned Iran’s actions as a blatant violation of U.S. laws and national sovereignty, labeling them as appalling instances of transnational violence. This case draws parallels to a 2012 prosecution where Iran was accused of planning to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. in Washington, D.C. Court documents also indicate Iran’s involvement in two other recent assassination plots, one targeting an Iranian-American writer in New York and the other aimed at a couple in Maryland, with one member being an Iranian defector.
The threat of state-sponsored murder attempts and foiled plots by authoritarian regimes remains a significant concern for the Department of Justice in 2022.
State-Sponsored Murder Attempts on U.S. Soil
Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed thwarting a state-sponsored murder attempt orchestrated by an Indian government official in 2022. The target was a U.S. citizen residing in New York City, known for advocating Sikh independence.
Charges were pressed by the U.S. authorities approximately two months subsequent to the Canadian Prime Minister’s accusations against India for the assassination of a Sikh activist close to Vancouver.
This alleged assassination plot on U.S. territory caused significant concern in Washington, especially considering India’s status as an American ally and fellow democratic nation.
It may seem audacious for a U.S. ally to take such a bold step, but history shows that during the Cold War, some American allies indeed engaged in such actions. One notable example is Chile’s Gen. Augusto Pinochet, whose intelligence operatives orchestrated the killing of former ambassador Orlando Letelier and his American colleague, Ronni Moffitt, in a car bombing in Washington, D.C. The incident, occurring in a prominent area, sparked significant attention in Washington, as noted by Michael Glennon, a law professor at Tufts University.
Glennon, who was working as an attorney for the U.S. Senate at the time of the bombing, highlighted how Letelier’s assassination prompted a Senate investigation into the activities of foreign intelligence agencies operating within the United States. The investigation revealed numerous reports from foreigners in the U.S. claiming surveillance, harassment, and even assassination attempts by foreign intelligence entities.
While cases of actual assassinations of U.S. residents were rare, Glennon emphasized that the Letelier assassination was an exceptional event. He noted that foreign intelligence agencies, including the Soviets, typically refrained from crossing the line into assassination due to ethical boundaries.
However, some countries, despite being allies of the U.S., did engage in such extreme actions. For instance, five years after the Letelier bombing, union organizers Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes were murdered in Seattle for opposing Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda. A U.S. court later held the Marcoses responsible for the murders, revealing a conspiracy to undermine anti-Marcos opposition in the U.S.
In another case, in 1984, Chinese American Henry Liu was fatally shot in California by U.S.-based members of a Taiwanese criminal gang acting on orders from a Taiwan military intelligence official. Glennon pointed out that the FBI’s intense focus on adversaries like the Soviet Union left less scrutiny on allies, allowing them more leeway in their actions.
Recent cases pursued by the Justice Department raise concerns about the prevalence of state-sponsored assassinations. Despite the prosecutions, Glennon warns against definitive conclusions, citing the adeptness of intelligence services in concealing their activities. The use of English terms like “state-sponsored murder attempts,” “DOJ,” “foiled,” and “2022” underscores the ongoing relevance and implications of such incidents.
The Surge in Assassination Attempts: A Closer Look
Rory Cormac, an international relations professor at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., concurs that the rise in assassination attempts is noticeable due to their bold nature and the increased transparency from the Americans regarding such activities.
Several factors, including state-sponsored murder attempts, the involvement of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and thwarted plots in 2022, are believed to be contributing to this apparent escalation.
Changing Landscape and Erosion of Norms
“The landscape is evolving, and norms against state-sponsored murder attempts are weakening,” expressed Cormac. “This shift is emboldening more actors to believe they can escape consequences.”
He also highlights the impact of new technology, specifically the proliferation of armed drones, as a contemporary method for executing targeted killings.
For over a decade, the United States has utilized drones to eliminate suspected terrorists globally. The U.S. government defends these actions as self-defense responses to imminent threats.
Cormac distinguishes between assassinating dissidents abroad and targeting terrorism suspects in drone strikes.
However, critics criticize the U.S. for alleged hypocrisy, citing the 2020 American drone strike that resulted in the death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Iraq as a prominent instance.
“This event is perceived as further diminishing the taboos against assassinations and targeted killings,” Cormac remarked.
The Justice Department has indicated that the Iranian plot aimed at John Bolton seemed to be a retaliatory measure following Soleimani’s demise.
Although no recent plots in the U.S. have been successful, this does not eliminate the possibility of foreign powers, whether allies or adversaries, continuing their efforts.
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