Sabotage

Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy through subversion, obstruction, disruption, and/or destruction. In war, the word is used to describe the activity of an individual or group not associated with the military (such as a foreign agent or an indigenous supporter), in particular when actions results in the destruction or damaging of a productive or vital facility, such as equipment, factories, dams, public services, or supplies storage. Unlike acts of terrorism, acts of sabotage do not have a primary objective of causing casualties (but does not exclude this). Saboteurs are usually classified as unlawful enemy combatants.

The name derives from the early industrial age, when powered looms could be damaged by the wooden shoes (known in French as sabots) of the displaced weavers (proto-saboteurs) being thrown into the machinery. Literally it means, "to clatter in sabots".

One of the tasks of security guards is the prevention and detection of sabotage.

See also: guerrilla warfare, terrorism

External Links, Resources, and References

• Central Intelligence Agency sabotage manual
• Ozymandias Sabotage Handbook
• Employee Sabotage
• Brian Martin, Sabotage, Nonviolence versus Capitalism [PDF]

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Sabotage is also the name of an early Black Sabbath album, see Sabotage (album).