WASHINGTON, April 30 (Hina) - The US State Department has stated that the number of international terrorist attacks in 2003 fell in comparison to the previous period.
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Hina) - The US State Department has stated that
the number of international terrorist attacks in 2003 fell in
comparison to the previous period.#L#
According to figures from the State Department's report called 'Global
Terrorism in 2003", the number of international terrorist attacks fell
to 190 last year from 198 in 2002 and 346 in 2001.
The number of victims who died in those attacks fell from 725 in 2002
to 307 last year.
Presenting the report at a news conference on Thursday, State
Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Cofer Black, praised
Saudi Arabia and Malaysia for efforts they were investing in the fight
against terrorism.
The report reads that the United States has made significant progress
in this segment, too.
The document also underlines the importance of maintaining the
international cooperation in the fight against terrorist groups such
as Al Quaida.
The 181-page report gives an overview of countries' efforts to counter
terrorism.
According to the assessments of the United States which labelled
Libya, Sudan, Iran, Cuba, Syria and North Korea as sponsors of
terrorism, Libya and Sudan made significant steps in cooperation in
global war on terrorism. The other five countries did not take all
necessary measures to sever links with terrorism, the State Department
wrote in the report. Iraq is also on the list of state sponsors of
terrorism as it has no government which would officially condemn
terrorism.
The report reads that despite their limited possibilities,
south-eastern European countries, including Croatia, actively support
the international coalition against terrorism.
Albania, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Bulgaria
cooperated in the fight against organised crime and various forms of
illegal trade, the report said.
It added that the commitment of Bosnian authorities to the struggle
against terrorism had been slowed down since 2002 when national
parties came to power. Foreign Islamic extremists, who entered Bosnia
during the 1992-1995 war remained in the country, the document said.
The State Department, however, said that the Bosnian federal
authorities continued closing nongovernmental organisations which had
links with terrorists.
(Hina) ms