Al-Qaeda Is Still Worst Terrorist Threat: US

Safe havens in Pakistan have helped group recharge

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 30, 2008 4:21 PM CDT

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Al-Qaeda Is Still Worst Terrorist Threat: US — Pakistani paramilitary policemen take a break from the wet weather in their tent while guarding a street Thursday Jan. 17, 2008 on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Ed Wray)

Al-Qaeda remains the terrorist group that most threatens the US, Reuters reports. An annual State Department survey of worldwide terrorist activity, out today, said the group killed 5,400 civilians—50% Muslims—in 2007. Though weaker now than in 2001 due to multilateral anti-terrorism efforts, the group has used the lawless tribal areas of northwest Pakistan to rebuild its strength.

The number of worldwide terrorist attacks last year fell to 14,499 from 14,570 in 2006, but the attacks got more deadly, claiming 22,685 lives, as opposed to 20,872 in 2006.
Iraq remains the epicenter of jihad, accounting for 45% of all worldwide terrorist incidents and 60% of fatalities in 2007.
Last year, Pakistan saw an 100% increase in terrorist incidents from 2006.

(Read more Pakistan stories.)