Terrorist

"Saw Gerrera, in violation of his vows to honor the Alliance's standards governing humane behavior including the traditions established under the Ruusan Armistice, has acted in a fashion contrary to the laws of civilized behavior and engaged in acts of moral repugnance unjustified under a state of war. […] Saw Gerrera's Partisans […] have targeted civilians and innocents, have employed cruel methods of interrogation, and have refused to respond to repeated concerns raised by Alliance representatives."

―The Rebel Alliance's censure of Saw Gerrera^[1]

DeathWatch-SWBC20 — Members of the Mandalorian traditionalist terrorist cell known as Death Watch.

A terrorist was an individual who engaged in terrorism, use of violent acts as a means of intimidation or coercion, usually to achieve a political end. Terrorist groups included the Mandalorian Death Watch. Groups sometimes considered terrorist organizations included the Onderon rebels, the Free Ryloth Movement, the Partisans, the Rebel Alliance, and the Galactic Empire. While the Empire ruled by fear, epitomized by the Death Star superweapons of terror, the Rebel Alliance under Mon Mothma's leadership waged armed resistance against the Empire while being dedicated to the rule of law and establishing a democratic form of governance.

History

"I am free, while you have chosen to become a terrorist."
"I'm not a terrorist. I'm a patriot. And resistance is not terrorism."

―General Akenathen Tandin and Saw Gerrera^[2]

Saw Gerrera SWDL — Saw Gerrera was accused of being a terrorist in his many years as a resistance fighter.

During the Onderonian Civil War, which occurred during the Clone Wars, the Separatist-backed government of Onderon accused the Onderon rebels of being terrorists. Saw Gerrera, one of the leading members of the rebellion, insisted that he was a patriot and that resisting oppression was not terrorism.^[2] Even so, Gerrera at times embraced the terrorist label.^[3] The Jedi Order was accused of treason and terrorism by the Galactic Republic's leadership at the end of the war to cement Palpatine's ascent as dictator. During the Imperial Era, Senator Daho Sejan claimed that "terrorists" hid among the general population in a recorded speech. With the Empire not as prosperous as its propaganda depicted, Sejan claimed in the speech it was the doing of those hidden enemies that held back the average person from reaching the prosperity propaganda otherwise depicted as day-to-day life.^[4]

Over time, as Gerrera led a rebel cell against the Galactic Empire, Saw's tactics grew more extreme. At one point, Idryssa Barruck suggested that attacking Imperial parades with senators present would be seen as embracing terrorism, to which Saw replied that he thought they should do so.^[5] Years later, Gerrera's tactics were still referred to as terrorism by some.^[6] Further still, many personnel of the Galactic Empire considered all members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic terrorists.^[7] In the waning days of the Galactic Civil War, many Imperials considered the nascent New Republic to consist of and/or support terrorists.^[8]^[9]

FansordAttack-RO — Saw Gerrera's Partisans disguised themselves as civilians to ambush Imperial convoys, even if it endangered the actual civilians around them, one of several acts which caused the Partisans to be labeled as terrorists.

To counter the Empire's claims that her rebels were anarchists and terrorists who sought to destroy the galaxy, rebel leader and ex-senator Mon Mothma wrote the Declaration of Rebellion based on the language of law. The declaration recognized the need for a "Galactic Government" with jurisdiction over all beings who must give up "certain rights and freedoms" to ensure harmony between everyone. Such "power and right to rule" derived from "the consent of the governed" and that "free beings" had the "unalienable right" and "duty" to change a government with a sustained history of "willfully and malignantly" usurping their rights.^[10] The Alliance also issued a formal Resolution of Censure Condemning Saw Gerrera of the Partisans for Gerrera's terrorism.^[1]

The Empire maintained the Imperial Anti-Terrorism Watchline for civilian tips about "terrorist" activity, with the Alliance falling under that purview.^[11] While the pair were cadets and later lieutenants of the Imperial Navy, Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell considered the Rebel Alliance to be a terrorist organization, as it was presented in official Imperial propaganda. Thane later deserted his post after the destruction of Alderaan and witnessing the Empire enslaving the entire population of planets for defiance as mild as tax and trade disputes. Months thereafter, Kyrell joined the Rebel Alliance after Wedge Antilles convinced him the Alliance cared about people and planets. Some time after the battle of Hoth, Kyrell visited his homeworld of Jelucan to defend the honor of Ciena's mother Verine, and by extension the Ree family. Ciena confronted Thane about his allegiance to the Rebellion, asking how he could join those "terrorists." Kyrell replied that if anyone was a terrorist, it was Emperor Palpatine, as he openly ruled through fear and threat of planetary destruction.^[12]

Tactics

"I will not be lectured on military strategy by a man who has proven himself a criminal."
"The Empire considers us both criminals. At least I act like one."
"You target civilians, kill those who surrender, break every rule of engagement! If we degrade ourselves to the Empire's level what will we become?"

―Saw Gerrera and Senator Mon Mothma, the later of whom considered Saw a terrorist.^[13]

Many groups considered to be terrorist organizations utilized guerrilla warfare tactics, in which small units took on much larger forces with sabotage, ambushes, and other means of causing large amounts of damage. Groups who used guerrilla tactics and were considered terrorists included the Clone Wars-era Onderon Rebels,^[14] the Partisans, and the Rebel Alliance.^[7]