NCJ Number
189726
Date Published
2000
Length
124 pages
Annotation
The report outlines the status and patterns of terrorism activities in 2000.
Abstract
In the year 2000, terrorism continued to pose a clear and present danger to the international community. The 19 deaths from the bombing of the USS Cole was a reminder. The international community's commitment to counterterrorism cooperation grew stronger. Partners based their cooperation on making no concessions to terrorists, bringing them to justice, isolating them, and bolstering counterterrorism capabilities. There were 423 international terrorist acts in 2000, an 8 percent increase, most of which occurred in Asia. Attacks in Africa have risen steadily since 1995. South Asia remained the focal point for international terrorism directed against the United States, further confirming the trend of terrorism shifting from the Middle East to South Asia. No major terrorist attacks occurred in Eurasia in 2000, but counterterrorist efforts, often in conjunction with counterinsurgency efforts, continued in the States of the former Soviet Union. Russia, China, and the United States were all involved in regional efforts to combat terrorism. Western Europe had the largest decline in the number of international terrorist incidents of any region in 2000. Several European nations moved to strengthen antiterrorism legislation. Latin America witnesses an increase in terrorist attacks from the previous year, from 121 to 193. Middle Eastern terrorist groups and their State sponsors continued to plan, train for, and carry out acts of terrorism throughout 2000. There was a significant increase in violence, particularly in Israel and the occupied territories. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Cuba, North Korea and the Sudan continued to be the seven governments that the United States had designated as state sponsors of international terrorism. State sponsorship has decreased over the past several decades. As it decreases, it becomes increasingly necessary for all countries to adopt a "zero tolerance" for terrorist activity within their borders. Appendices