That is, the US armed and supported "irregular" forces such as the contras fighting against the populist government of Nicaragua. These people were trained (yes, trained by the CIA) to torture and kill educators and health workers in the countryside so as to destroy the benefits the Sandinistas were bringing to the peasants. A friend of mine found the "comic book" described here used to train the proxy US forces.

And yes, this makes me afraid. What they will do through proxies, they will do here if they feel their hold on power slipping. I have actually been impressed and heartened by the number of brave professionals in the military, the JAG offices, various policy departments, who have been willing to expose the ongoing destruction of the rule of law under our current leaders.