MILNET: Statistics on Terrorism

In the U.S. State Department's annual report on international terrorism ( Patterns of Global Terrorism, we see that in 1996 there some 296 international terrorist incidents. In contrast, the number of incidents in 1987 was over 600 with a death toll in the thousands. The death toll from terrorist incidents was 163 in 1995, but rose to 311 in 1996. Obviously current figures show a massive improvement over years past. Most likely the lower numbers are reflective of decades of mutual cooperation between intelligence and police agencies since the Munich Massacre, one of the most visible and traumatic terrorist incident in modern history.

The older data does point out we have some improvement in the terrorist picture today. For instance, in their 1981 report on the status of World Terrorism, the CIA says their were 6,714 incidents of International Terrorism between 1968 and 1980, including some 1,760 in 1980 alone. 1

According to Gail Rivers, a violent anti-terror advocate, there were some 690 terrorist attacks in 1985 2.

While terrorism has abated somewhat, it is clear it will continue to be a new fact of life into the 21st century and beyond.

1 COUNTERATTACK: The West's Battle Against the Terrorists By Christopher Dobson & Ronald Payne. Published by: Facts on File, 460 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y., 10016.

2 The War Against The Terrorists: How to Win It, Gayle Rivers, Copyright 1986, Littopus S.A. and the Colophon Corporation, published in the U.S. bye Charter Books, the Berkely Publishing Group, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y., 10016.

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