USIS Washington 
File

30 April 1998

TERRORISM REMAINS A SERIOUS GLOBAL THREAT, STATE DEPT. SAYS

(State-sponsored terrorism declines, U.S. report says) (550)
By Edmund F. Scherr
USIA Staff Writer

Washington -- While the number of international terrorist incidents
remains at a relatively lower level, a State Department report
emphasizes that terrorism remains a "serious, ongoing threat around
the world."

The document also says there is a marked decline in state-sponsored
terrorism in recent years. The US policy of bringing maximum pressure
on state sponsors of terrorism and encouraging other governments to
follow the same approach has "paid significant dividends," it
stresses.

Individual bombings and armed attacks, while fewer in number than in
1996, continue to cause "horrendous casualties," notes the annual
State Department report to Congress on "Patterns of Global Terrorism,"
which was released April 30.

The report, covering the year 1997, says that during that year there
were 304 acts of international terrorism worldwide. "This figure is
one of the lowest annual totals recorded since 1971." The total was
six higher than 1996. More than one-third of the attacks in 1997
occurred in Colombia -- 90 of the incidents there "low level" bombings
of oil pipelines that caused damage but not casualties.

A senior State Department official told an April 30 press briefing on
the report that the most frequent targets of attacks were
business-related. He noted that government buildings and embassies
around the world are becoming more secure against terrorist attacks.

The report defines international terrorism as "terrorism involving the
citizens or the territory of more than one country."

Secretary of State Albright has designated seven governments as state
sponsors of terrorism -- Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan
and Syria. This list is unchanged from the 1996 report.

"Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism in 1997,"
the report stressed. The official emphasized that Iran continues to
support some of the world's "most deadliest" terrorist groups.

When questioned whether Iran continued its terrorist activities after
the August, 1997, accession of President Khatami, the official noted
that the report says Iran continued to be involved in and supported
terrorist activities "throughout 1997."

He added that Iran's terrorist activities have continued into 1998.
Iran "has not significantly changed" its level of terrorist activity
since the new president took office, he said.

A variety of bilateral and multilateral sanctions have been imposed
and remain in place to discourage these countries from continuing
their support for international terrorism.

One of the most positive trends last year, the official said, was the
enhanced international cooperation against terrorism. He also noted
that more terrorists are being held accountable for their acts,
pointing the trials and stiffer sentences for terrorists around the
world in 1997.

The official declined to label the activities of the Kosovo Liberation
Army, when asked if it engaged in terrorism last year. He noted that
the report's definition of terrorism states that terrorism means
"premeditated, politically motivated violence" against noncombatants.

The report emphasizes that the terrorist threat remains a high
priority for the United States. The U.S. counterterrorism policy is
based upon three principles:

-- Make no concessions to terrorists and strike no deals.

-- Bring terrorists to justice for their crimes.

-- Isolate and apply pressure on states that sponsor and support
terrorism to force them to change their behavior.


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