Stats Withheld From Global Terrorism Report Focus of Debate

Press release, Committee on Government Reform, Minority Office – Withheld Data Shows ‘Dramatic Up-tick’ in Terrorist Attacks

“Tuesday, April 26, 2005 — At a congressional briefing yesterday, Administration officials revealed that the data that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has withheld from this year’s Patterns of Global Terrorism report shows a “dramatic up-tick” in terrorist attacks in 2004. The data presented by State Department and National Counterterrorism Center officials showed that there were approximately 650 significant terrorist attacks throughout the world in 2004, more than triple the 175 attacks reported in 2003, the previous 20-year high. The data revealed approximately 198 significant attacks in Iraq alone in 2004 nine times the number identified in the previous year. Even this increase may be an underestimate of actual attacks. Many incidents in Iraq that most American would regard as terrorism, such as those directed at U.S. armed forces or resulting in only Iraqi fatalities, do not meet the Department’s definition of “international” attacks and were not included.”

Letter to Secretary Rice (PDF), dated April 26, 2005, from Rep. Waxman, requesting that the State Department release the data referenced above.

Letter to Cameron Hume, Dept. of State IG (PDF), from Rep. Waxman, requesting an investigation into the decision to withhold data on terror attacks from the public.

Daily Press Briefing, Richard Boucher, State Dept. Spokesman, Washington, DC, April 18, 2005 – discussion included Publication of Patterns of Global Terrorism Report/Statistical Data

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