The Department of State's Patterns of Global Terrorism Report: Trends, State Sponsors, and Related Issues

Publication Date: June 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: International relations

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Abstract:

This report highlights trends and data found in the State Department's annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report, (Patterns 2003) and addresses selected issues relating to its content. This report will not be updated.

On April 29, 2004, the Department of State released its annual Patterns of Global Terrorism report . Data at release showed minimal change in the number of terrorist attacks worldwide in 2003 over 2002 levels -- a decrease from 198 attacks to 190. In 2003, the overall number of reported anti-U.S. attacks remained more or less constant as well, 82 anti-U.S. attacks in 2003 as opposed to 77 attacks in the previous year. In 2003, the number of persons killed in international terrorist attacks was 307, down from 725 in 2002. In 2003, persons wounded numbered 1,593, down from 2013 the previous year. In 2003, as in 2002, both the highest number of attacks (70) and highest number of casualties (159 dead and 951 wounded) continued to occur in Asia. Notably, the report defines terrorist acts as incidents directed against noncombatants. Thus, attacks in Iraq on military targets are not included.

Patterns, a work widely perceived as a standard, authoritative reference tool on terrorist activity, trends, and groups, has been subject to periodic criticism that it is unduly influenced by domestic, other foreign policy, political and economic considerations.

This year for the first time, data contained in Patterns -- which some critics in Congress view as incomplete if not flawed -- was provided by the newly operational Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC). TTIC is providing an errata sheet, which will include, among other information, data on terrorist attacks after November 11, 2003.

It has been some fifteen years since Congress mandated the first Patterns report. At the time when the report was originally conceived as a reference document, the primary threat from terrorism was state sponsored. Since then, the threat has evolved with Al Qaeda affiliated groups and non-state sponsors increasingly posing a major threat. Given the increased complexity and danger posed by the terrorist threat, one option available to Congress and the executive branch is to take a fresh look at Patterns, its structure and content.