Fact Check: More people have Been killed by the Baathist governments of Iraq and Syria than have been killed by Jihadist terrorists

Fact Check: "More people have been killed by the Baathist governments of Iraq and Syria than have been killed by Jihadist terrorists"

What We Know

The claim that more people have been killed by the Baathist governments of Iraq and Syria than by Jihadist terrorists is a complex assertion that requires careful examination of historical data and context. The Baathist regimes, particularly under Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Bashar al-Assad in Syria, have been responsible for significant loss of life through state-sponsored violence, including wars, purges, and repression. For instance, the Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 highlights the extensive human rights abuses and violent suppression of dissent by these regimes, which have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths over decades.

In contrast, Jihadist terrorism, particularly from groups like ISIS, has also led to substantial casualties. The same report notes that ISIS alone was responsible for thousands of deaths during its peak, including the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people. However, quantifying the total deaths caused by Jihadist terrorism is challenging due to the decentralized nature of these groups and the varying definitions of terrorism.

Analysis

To evaluate the claim, we must consider the reliability and context of the sources. The Country Reports on Terrorism 2019 is a government document that provides a comprehensive overview of terrorism-related activities and trends, but it may not fully capture the historical context of state violence by the Baathist regimes. Additionally, while it provides figures on terrorist attacks, it does not offer a direct comparison of total death tolls between state violence and terrorism.

The American Jihadists in Syria and Iraq report discusses the mobilization of American fighters in these conflicts but does not provide a clear statistical comparison of casualties between Baathist actions and Jihadist terrorism. Furthermore, the historical context of the Baathist regimes includes events like the Anfal campaign in Iraq, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 Kurds, and the ongoing civil war in Syria, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives since 2011.

On the other hand, the Wikipedia entry on Terrorism in Ba'athist Syria outlines the systematic use of state terrorism by the Baathist government, detailing various atrocities committed against civilians. However, Wikipedia entries can vary in reliability and should be corroborated with primary sources.

Given the complexities involved in comparing these two forms of violence, including differing definitions of what constitutes a terrorist act and the challenges in obtaining accurate death tolls, the claim remains contentious.

Conclusion

Verdict: Needs Research
The assertion that more people have been killed by the Baathist governments of Iraq and Syria than by Jihadist terrorists requires further research and a more nuanced understanding of the historical context and data. The available sources provide valuable insights but do not offer a definitive comparison of death tolls. More comprehensive studies and reliable statistics are necessary to draw a conclusive comparison between state violence and terrorism in this context.

Fact Check: More people have Been killed by the Baathist governments of Iraq and Syria than have been killed by Jihadist terrorists