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International Terrorist Activity Continues to Decline, U.S. State Department Says By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — The number of international terrorist incidents continued to decline in 2003, reaching their lowest level since the late 1960s, according to an annual U.S. State Department report released yesterday (see GSN, May 1, 2003). Last year, a total of 190 terrorist attacks were conducted throughout the world, a slight decrease from the 198 attacks reported in 2002 and a 45-percent decrease from the 346 incidents reported in 2001, according to the report, entitled Patterns of Global Terrorism. The 2003 total represents the lowest number of terrorist incidents since 1969, the report says. The number of fatalities and casualties suffered through terrorist attacks also continued to decline last year, according to the report. In 2003, 307 people were killed and 1,593 people were injured in terrorist attacks — compared to the 725 killed and 2,013 people injured in attacks in 2002. In 2001, 3,295 fatalities occurred as a result of terrorist attacks, with the bulk of those occurring during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, according to the 2003 version of the report. This year’s terrorism report provides “clear evidence that we are prevailing in the fight” against terrorism, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said yesterday during a State Department press briefing. State Department counterterrorism coordinator Cofer Black attributed the decline in terrorist attacks to increased international cooperation against what he described as a “common scourge.” “We’re in this together. We have a commonality of interest. We’re in the business of saving each other’s people and citizens. The accepted objective is to protect innocent men, women and children. We’re just doing a better job of it, and I think that’s reflected in these numbers,” Black said. Black also said that he expected the number of terrorist attacks to continue to decline in the future. “It’s my view that the trend line would continue, would still be positive,” he said. Black warned, though, of the continued threat of terrorism and of that posed by al-Qaeda. “There is every indication that al-Qaeda continues to plan mass casualty attacks against American and other targets worldwide. Although the group poses as the defender of a great faith, they have hijacked Islam as a cover for their violence. Numerous Muslims have died in al-Qaeda attacks and much of the Islamic world stands with the United States in fighting this great evil,” he said. State Sponsors of TerrorismWhile there is evidence that state sponsorship of terrorist groups also decreased last year, the issue remains one of concern, according to the State Department. “State sponsorship remains an unprecedented advantage for terrorists and enables them to acquire the weapons, training and logistical support they need to commit terrorist atrocities, and afterwards to enjoy safe haven and freedom from the prosecution of their crimes,” Black said. Of the seven nations listed by the State Department as sponsors of terrorism — Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria and Sudan — Libya and Sudan “most notably” increased their cooperation in the war on terrorism, according to the State Department report. The report noted that Libya last year provided terrorism-related intelligence to Western countries; took responsibility for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in the 1980s; and made a “historic decision” to dismantle its WMD efforts. The report also notes Sudan’s increased cooperation and information sharing, as well as its efforts to prevent terrorists from operating within its borders and to strengthen its national laws against terrorism In addition, the overthrow of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last year eliminated a “longtime sponsor” of terrorism in the Middle East, the report says. Yesterday’s report says that Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria continued last year to have ties to terrorist groups. “Although some in this latter group have improved their performances in some areas, most have also continued the very actions that led them to be declared state sponsors,” it says. According to the report, Iran remained last year “the most active” state sponsor of terrorism. It notes Tehran’s “mixed record” against al-Qaeda, continued support for anti-Israeli activities and destabilizing activities in post-Hussein Iraq. The State Department yesterday seemed to have a mixed view of Syria’s terrorism record. While noting Syria’s ongoing backing of several Palestinian militant organizations and efforts by Syrian officials to differentiate between terrorism “and legitimate armed resistance,” the department’s report also says that there have been no acts of terrorism against U.S. citizens in Syria in the past five years and that Damascus has cooperated with the United States against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. In his remarks yesterday, though, Black took a harsher view against Syria, labeling Damascus as “one of the leading state sponsors of terrorism.” Earlier this week, two U.S. lawmakers publicly called on the Bush administration to implement the Syria Accountability Act, which was enacted into law late last year. The law requires a number of sanctions to be imposed against Syria for failing to end its suspect WMD activities and support for terrorism (see GSN, April 29). While the State Department has noted the progress made by Libya and Sudan in continuing to improve their records against terrorism, the two countries remain on the department’s list of terrorism sponsors. Praising Libya’s efforts, Black said yesterday that there were still “outstanding issues” that needed to be resolved before Libya could be removed from the list. U.S. President George W. Bush last year suspended the Iraq Sanctions Act, effectively waving the penalties imposed against Iraq as a state sponsor of terrorism. However, a formal government must be established before Iraq can be removed from the list, Black said. Iraq is expected to have its government by the end of June. “At that point, we can go through, with the assumption that a government takes power that renounces terrorism, shows every indication. We then begin the process of validating that and moving forward,” he said. Black also discussed yesterday North Korea’s continued presence on the list of terrorism-sponsoring countries, despite the fact that the State Department has determined that Pyongyang has not supported any terrorist attacks since the bombing of a Korean Airlines flight in 1987. Even so, Black said, several issues still needed to be resolved before Pyongyang could be removed from the list, including the issue of Japanese abductees in North Korea. “The United States has a long memory, and we will not expunge a terrorist sponsor’s record simply because time has passed. It is the North Koreans that need to assure us … they are no longer sponsoring international terrorism, that they no longer have any contacts with international terrorists, and we’ll be happy to review this issue with them when they feel clear to do so,” Black said.
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