Terrorists Love Density

1
Terrorists love density
al-Qaeda Organization in the
Land of the Two Rivers
4
9
Communist Party
of Nepal
Ansar al-Sunnah Army
Terrorists love density; they explore cities according to it.
They attack the courses of daily life like subways or buses;
they look for the shock-factor attacking weddings or
funerals and their main targets are city elements like the
police, the government, public transportation or religious
institutions. Terrorism is an urban activity. By mapping all
incidents in 2005 an equator of terrorism appears which
also gives home to the most active terrorist groups.
The events of 9/11 forever redefined the nature of
terrorism risk. People and organizations in the Western
World that never considered terrorism as a threat are now
on guard. To hit the “right” target in the “right” city paid off
and spread fear all over the western society while out of
the 5.000 terrorist incidents in 2005 only a handful was
actually happening in the Western World.
The events of 9/11 triggered an unprecedented eruption of
new terrorist groups with the Al-Qaeda Organization in the
Land of the Two Rivers (an affiliate of Al-Qaeda) as most
violent group in 2005 and Iraq as the most affected
country. By exhibiting the world on its flag Al-Qaeda
makes its ambitions clear to everybody. With bases in
more than 60 countries and having attacked already 4
continents, Al-Qaeda, with all its branches, becomes the
first global terrorist organization.
Terrorist incidents in 2005
Basque Fatherland
and Freedom (ETA)
one dot equals at least one terrorist incident
©
www.tdstar.nl
2
Hamas
STAR
5
8
Communist Party
of India
3
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Theo Deutinger
Beatriz Ramo
Taliban
10
al-Fatah
6
Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam
7
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Columbia
Theo Deutinger and Beatriz Ramo are the directors of the Rotterdam based office STAR
Top 10 terrorist groups (ranked by incidents)
1 al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers (190)
2 Hamas (183)
3 Taliban (100)
4 Communist Party of Nepal (93)
FALL OF BERLIN WALL
7 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (61)
8 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (53)
9 Ansar al-Sunnah Army (42)
10 al-Fatah (33)
Top 10 targets (ranked by incidents)
Police (1166)
Government (1160)
Private citizens & property (901)
Top 50 terrorist groups with year of foundation
Other (351)
(according to incidents in 2005)
Business (242)
Kurdistan Workers' Party
Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Babbar Khalsa International
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Al-Fatah
New People's Army
United Liberation Front of Assam
ETA Basque Fatherland and Freedom
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Utilities (221)
Educational institutions (185)
Religious institutions (176)
Transportation (140)
Top 10 attacks (ranked by fatalities)
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
9/11 WTC
6 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (62)
Hizbul Mujahideen
National Liberation Front
of Tripura
All Tripura Tiger Force
Abu Sayyaf Group
Al-Qaeda
Hamas
1985
Arab People's Democratic Front
Imam Hussein Brigades
Arbav Martyrs of Khuzestan
Popular Resistance Committees
Che Guevara Anti-Imperialist
Command
Strugglers for the Unity and
Freedom of Greater Syria
Soldiers of the Prophet's
Companions
Jamatul Mujahedin Bangladesh
Islamic Army in Iraq
Battalion of the Martyr Abdullah Azzam
Communist Party of India-Maoist
Kurdistan Freedom Hawks
Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills
resistance Force
Baloch Liberation Army
Informal Anarchist Federation
Purbo Banglar Communist Party
Al-Mansoorain
Ansar al-Sunnah Army
Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigade
Jaish al-Taifa al-Mansoura
Al-Qaeda Organization in the Land
of the Two Rivers
Secret Organization of al-Qaeda in Europe
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
Lashkar-e-Taiba
Al-Aarifeen
Lord's Resistance Army
Legenda
Communist Party of of India-Maoist
Al-Aarifeen:
suspected al Qaeda linked organization
Salafist Group for Call and Combat
Taliban
Earth Liberation Front
1990
1995
2000
2005
Unknown (88)
Top 5 tactics (ranked by incidents)
Bombing (2650)
Armed attack (1532)
Kidnapping (310)
Assassination (159)
Arson (114)
source: Terrorism Knowledge Base – Terrorism Trends 2005
125 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in
the Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
February 28; Al-Hillah, Iraq
102 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in
the Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
September 28; Balad, Iraq
98 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in
the Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
July 16; Musayyib, Iraq
88 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in the
Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
September 14; Baghdad, Iraq
77 fatalities
Unknown group
suicide bombing
November 18; Khanaqin, Iraq
63 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in the
Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
November 9; Amman, Jordan
60 fatalities
Ansar al-Sunnah Army
suicide bombing
May 4; Arbil, Iraq
56 fatalities
Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigade
and Secret Organization of
al-Qaeda Europe
suicide bombing
July 7; London, England
53 fatalities
Soldiers of the Prophet’s
Companions
suicide bombing
March 10; Mosul, Iraq
52 fatalities
al-Qaeda Organization in
the Land of the Two Rivers
suicide bombing
July 29; Rabiah, Iraq
no data for Islamic Jihad Jerusalem People's Defense Forces
5 Communist Party of India (90)