Fifteen Thousand Islamic Terrorist Attacks – Futility on Display?

In March of this year, the tally of Islamic Terror Attacks since 9/11/01 passed 15,000 on The Religion of Peace (TROP) website (www.thereligionofpeace.com ).  The good news is that the incidents of Islamic terrorism are declining in most countries. The better news is that in the past eight years not one government has fallen anywhere due to Islamic terrorism.  The question for the sponsors of Islamic terrorism might be, as TV psychologist Phil McGraw likes to ask his patients, “How is that working out for you?”

It should not be surprising to most observers of world events that the governments of the two countries where Islamic terrorist attacks seem to be rising significantly—the United States and Pakistan—have been reluctant to address the root cause of Islamic terrorism in the religious ideology. 

A note about the data:  While the editors of the TROP website would be the first to admit there may be gaps in the data, they have been as diligent as humanly possible to provide an accurate accounting from newspaper articles, tips, and other information sources. If anything, the data grossly understate the true extent of Islamic terrorism.  (See “About the List of Terrorist Attacks” on their website sidebar.) 

                                       Terrorism by Year:

                                Terror in the U.S.:

Last year was the worst year since 2002 in the U.S., primarily due to the incident at Fort Hood, TX, where Muslim psychiatrist Nidal Hasan shouted “Allah Akbar” and opened fire on fellow soldiers killing 13 and injuring 31.  The year 2002 was dominated by the Beltway Sniper incidents.

                                   Afghanistan:

The NATO Coalition has stepped up its offensive against the Taliban and al Qaeda in 2009, and there were 316 combat deaths as a result.  Combat casualties are not included in the statistics above, so most of the deaths in the table are Afghan civilians and police officers.

                                       Iraq:

The United States began re-deploying troops away from civilian areas in 2009, and by the end of the year they were below the number deployed in the initial invasion in 2003.  The largest single terrorist attack of 2009 was in October when two massive car bombs took out one-hundred and sixty Iraqis standing near or in government buildings. The dead included 30 children at a day care center. The ‘Islamic State of Iraq” claimed responsibility.

                                       Israel:

Israel’s uncompromising stand against Islamic terrorism, including its formidable containment wall,  has drawn complaints, but there is no denying its effectiveness in reducing attacks on the country’s civilians.

                Palestinian Authority (Gaza and West Bank):

Most of the deaths and injuries in 2009 were due to fighting between HAMAS and Fatah rivals. In January HAMAS executed thirty-five rivals and maimed another seventy by shooting them in their feet for allegedly

collaborating with Israel.

                                     Pakistan:

Pakistan has clearly lost control of its war on terror, seeing the largest increase in terrorist attacks of any country and the highest number of total attacks in 2009, except for Iraq.  Due to U.S. prodding, Pakistan has launched military offensives against the militant strongholds, but the positive impact of these drives is yet to be seen. Since Pakistan is 97% Muslim, these attacks are virtually all Muslim-on-Muslim attacks, both sectarian or anti-government.

                           Russian Federation:

The data above include Russia, Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia, with Ingushetia accounting for about half of the attacks and casualties.

India:

India is 81% Hindu, 13% Muslim, 2% Christian, and 2% Sikh. The most deadly Islamic terrorist attack in 2008 occurred in Mumbai in November and left 183 dead and 370 injured.  The attackers were members of Lakhkar-e-Tayyiba from Pakistan, and some of the reconnaissance was done by an American, David Coleman Headley. 

Since the attack, India has beefed up its security dramatically. 

                                   Saudi Arabia:

Half of the deaths in 2009 were honor killings of sisters by their brothers, usually a non-crime under Saudi Sharia Law.

Somalia:

Somalia is the world’s poster child for a failed state. Not only is there anarchy within the country, but Somali pirates menace commerce along its coastline.  It is only the military force of foreign powers that is containing this haven for international terrorism.

WHAT ARE THE ANTI-TERRORISM SUCCESS STORIES OF 2009?

             Indonesia – Reining in Extremist Muslims

Indonesia is 88% Muslim, 8% Christian, and 2% Hindu.  In past years, most of the terror incidents involved extremist Muslims attacking Christians.  However, in June, 2008, the government issued a decree threatening five years in prison for “activities that are not in accordance with interpretations of the religion of Islam.”  Since Indonesians are primarily moderate Sunni Muslims, this decree was seen as a threat to radical sects like the Wahhabis and the Ahmadiyah.  The only terrorist attack in 2009 was simultaneous suicide bombing of two luxury hotels in Jakarta in July, alleged to be carried out by Jemaah Islamiyah (the Islamic congregation), a South-East Asia affiliate of Al Qaeda.  In September, one of their leaders, Mohammed Noordin Top, was killed in a shootout with police, followed by the killing of Dulmatin, the top leader, in March, 2010.  Perhaps Indonesia can teach the United States a few lessons about stemming the Islamic terrorist threat.  

  Sudan/Chad –  War Crime Indictment Slows Bashir:

The terrorism in the Sudan/Chad region may be the most under-reported part of TROP’s database because only limited access to the Darfur region is given to the press or human rights observers.  The world-wide condemnation of the government of Sudan has dampened the atrocities there, but the dramatic drop in 2009 can be explained by the indictment of Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in July, 2008, for genocide, crimes against humanity, and murder.  Bashir is the first national leader to be indicted by the International Criminal Court.

CONCLUSIONS FOR 2009:

1.  Islamic terrorism is a world-wide problem. While only a few countries were identified in this report, the TROP list of terrorist incidents in 2009 includes 38 countries – both Muslim and non-Muslim.

2. Terrorism is increasing in frequency and severity in countries where it is not dealt with directly and with specific concerted government action, namely, in the United States and Pakistan.  The greatest success stories about combating terrorism come from Indonesia and Israel, where the governments have taken a firm stance against militant Islamists, and in the Sudan, where an international indictment of their President for genocide and crimes against humanity has finally made a significant impact.

3.  Terrorism has generally failed to accomplish any political or social objectives. The data seem to indicate that it is losing its support as a tactic in Iraq and India.

4. Muslim-on-Muslim terror reveals the evil agenda of its perpetrators, where the desired ends justify the means even if it involves killing fellow Muslims.  Examples include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Authority.  Islamists are do not represent an alternative form of government as much as they do general anarchy as a precursor to imposing Islamic (Sharia) Law. Somalia is a modern-day example of the end result.

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