Global terror increasing, says US state department
Pastor Dale Morgan
Global terror increasing, says US state department*
* Daniel Nasaw in Washington
* guardian.co.uk,
* Wednesday April 30 2008
More than half of all terrorist deaths during 2007 occurred in Iraq and
the world suffered an overall increase in terrorist deaths, partly due
to rises in violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Iraq, the US
state department said today.
In its annual counterterrorism report, the US state department said the
number of people killed or injured in terrorist attacks jumped to 67,000
in 2007, up from 59,000 the year before. About 60% of those occurred in
Iraq.
The number of terrorist attacks in 2007 was roughly flat compared to
2006, indicating that terrorist organisations are become more adept at
their deadly craft.
"Around the globe, people are getting increasingly efficient at killing
other people," said Russ Travers, deputy director of the national
counterterrorism centre.
He noted that as security forces improve barriers against car bombs,
suicide terrorists have turned to backpacks to deliver explosives.
The report states that al-Qaida remained the chief terrorist threat to
the US and its allies, noting that the group had reorganised in
north-west Pakistan since it was driven from Afghanistan after September
11 2001.
Meanwhile, al-Qaida in Iraq has been weakened by the US presence in that
country, the report stated.
A strengthened US presence in Baghdad, along with an increase in
cooperation from Sunni tribes, "has succeeded in reducing violence to
late 2005 levels", the report notes.
In addition, "The continued growth and improved capabilities of the
Iraqi forces have increased their effectiveness in rooting out terrorist
cells."
Rebel terrorist attacks in Colombia declined, as did attacks in Saudia
Arabia and Jordan, the report noted, while the number of attacks in
Pakistan doubled, and the number of deaths quadrupled in 2007 from the
year before.
State sponsors of terrorism continue to undermine efforts to eliminate
terrorist threats, the report said. The report said Iran is the
principle national sponsor of terrorist groups, noting its support for
Hizbullah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Iraq.
Officials cautioned against using the data as an indicator of progress
in the US war on terrorism, in part because of its reliance on
incomplete and often ambiguous information.
"In an aggregate count, we're talking about different groups with
different agendas," Travers said.
According to the report, about 9,400 police and roughly 2,400 children
were injured or killed in terror attacks, with both figures representing
an increase over 2006.
Attacks against schools, particularly girls' schools, increased, with
300 strikes killing or wounding 180 teachers and almost 800 students,
according to the report.
Al-Qaida killed about 5,400 civilians, a figure that the state
department said belies the group's claim it doesn't kill innocents.
A substantial number of terror victims were Muslims, and more than 100
mosques were struck in terror attacks in 2007.
Attacks on journalists increased 22% in 2007, and hostage situations
involving journalists increased to 79 in 2007, up from 47 the year before.