Overview of Maps of Terrorist Incidents by Country 1985–2004

出处：按学科分类—政治、法律 BERKSHIREPUBLISHINGGROUP《PatternsofGlobalTerrorism1985-2005：U.S.DepartmentofStateReportswithSupplementaryDocumentsandStatistics》第883页（4570字）

Anna Sabasteanski

This section illustrates the geographic distribution of terrorist incidents that occurred between 1985 and 2004. The data used to build these maps can be found in “Overview of Terrorist Incidents by Country,” at the beginning of Part 5. The overview to that section also describes the methodology used in collecting and presenting the data, and lists the annual number of countries affected by terrorist incidents. Please note that 1995-1997 data covers only international incidents while 1998-present includes domestic incidents as well.

In these maps, black marks the locations of higher numbers of incidents—those countries experiencing more than 40 attacks per year.This corresponds with the divisions used in Patterns, but does not take into account increasing levels of violence in the last decade.Year-by-year comparisons are very informative, but numbers of incidents are only one measure of terrorism. Had we drawn maps based on casualties, the picture would be rather different.

Colombia and Spain were the first countries in which more than a hundred incidents were recorded in the course of a single year. In 1998, Colombia experienced 136 incidents, the vast majority internal and directed against government or utility targets. Also in 1998 there were 109 attacks in Spain that were directed against a range of targets including government, police, business and transportation.

In 1999, incidents in Colombia had fallen to 94, while attacks in Spain rose to 172. France joined the 100+ club with 108 incidents, most connected to Breton or Corsican separatist groups opposed to the central government.Turkey, however, set a new record with 304 incidents, most associated with Kurdish separatism and directed against a broad range of targets, including significant numbers of private citizens and property.

A year later, Spain took the lead with 210 incidents primarily against government or police targets and businesses. The beginning of the second intifada (Palestinian uprising) in 2000 was responsible for the Occupied Territories joining this list, with 167 incidents, the majority against private citizens and property in Israeli settlements. (There were 19 incidents in Israel.) There were 110 incidents in Turkey and 192 in Colombia.

In 2001 the Occupied Territories had 328 attacks, predominantly against private citizens and property in Israeli settlements. (There were 85 attacks inside Israel.) In Northern Ireland an outbreak of loyalist violence directed mostly against private citizens and property generated 185 incidents. These spilled over into the British mainland with six Real IRA attacks, and one by an unknown group. Spain suffered 236 attacks, and Colombia 126.

Kashmir had the largest number of attacks in 2002, with 485, connected with separatist militants attacking government, private citizens and property, and a range of other targets. Colombia and the Occupied Territories tied with 432 attacks each, maintaining the same general attack profile. 2002 marked the first time that Israel suffered more than a hundred attacks. While most involved private citizens and property, a significant number were against transportation and government or police targets.There were 114 attacks in Spain.

Again in 2003 Kashmir had the largest number of attacks, with 238. Attacks also fell in the OccupiedTerritories, to 164. (In Israel, attacks fell to 75.) Afghanistan and Iraq went over 100 for the first time. In Afghanistan,Taliban and other militants were responsible for 150 attacks against a wide range of targets. In Iraq, militants launched 147 attacks. Also in 2003, Colombia suffered 147 incidents and France 117.

The number of incidents, primarily militant attacks, in Iraq grew dramatically, to 789 in 2004.The Occupied Territories experienced 349 attacks (Israel 25), and Afghanistan 146. There were 105 attacks in Turkey. Two new additions were Nepal and Thailand. Thailand’s 169 incidents were driven by unrest in the south, predominantly Islamic area, against targets associated with Christianity or the government, including police and educational institutions. Nepal’s Maoists reacted to the King’s dissolution of parliament and assumption of control with 111 incidents, most against government targets and individuals or entities associated with the government.