Page "State terrorism" Paragraph 13

Philosopher Igor Primoratz provides four reasons why he believes that state terrorism is typically morally worse than non-state terrorism.

First, because of the nature of the modern state and " the amount and variety of resources " available even for small states, the state mode of terrorism claims vastly more victims than does terrorism by non-state actors.

Secondly, because " state terrorism is bound to be compounded by secrecy, deception and hypocrisy ", terrorist states typically act with clandestine brutality while publicly professing adherence to " values and principles which rule it out.

" Thirdly, because unlike non-state actors, states are signatories in international laws and conventions prohibiting terrorism, so when a state commits acts of terrorism it is " in breach of its own solemn international commitments.

" Finally, while there may be circumstances where non-state actors are in such an oppressed situation that there may be no alternative but terrorism, Primoratz argues that " it seems virtually impossible that a state should find itself in such circumstances where it has no alternative to resorting to terrorism.