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Official Highlights Trends in Terrorism

State's Crumpton outlines continuing counterterrorism challenges

The State Department's annual report on terrorism identifies four dominant trends in terrorist activities: smaller groupings; growing sophistication; increasingly criminal activities; and a focus on Iraq.

That is the assessment of Ambassador Henry Crumpton, the State Department coordinator for counterterrorism. Crumpton's prepared testimony, submitted for the record May 11 to the House International Relations' Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, discusses both positive and negative aspects of these trends.

For example, the smaller size of terrorist cells means they are more difficult to detect and engage, Crumpton said. They are less capable, he said, but also less predictable and possibly more dangerous. (See related article).

"We may face a larger number of smaller attacks, less meticulously planned, and local rather than transnational in scope," Crumpton said.

Terrorists' growing sophistication is exemplified in their use of the Internet. Their increasing criminal activity is reflected their use of the same networks as transnational criminal groups. The terrorists' focus on Iraq, Crumpton said, is being aided by networks uncovered in several regions that supply a flow of foreign terrorists there. (See related article.)

"We must, therefore, help Iraqis secure their country and help other countries shut down these networks," he said.

In addition to these trends, Crumpton discussed key additions to the latest report, along with single-country and multilateral efforts, and current counterterrorism initiatives.

KEY ADDITIONS TO THE 2005 REPORT

Some new chapters were added to the 2005 edition: one on strategic assessment and another on terrorist safe havens. Also, a previous chapter discussing building international will and capacity was expanded.

The strategic assessment was included this year, Crumpton said, because both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "believe we should tackle the question directly and provide the best assessment possible." This is important, he added, because the war against terrorism is unconventional and thus does not lend itself to normal methods of analysis.

SINGLE-COUNTRY ASSESSMENTS

Crumpton cited several countries for positive counterterrorism effort, including Afghanistan, Algeria, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. Afghanistan and Iraq, he said, embraced democracy while simultaneously fighting insurgents. Colombia's central government extended its police presence to all of that nation's nearly 1,100 municipalities, while demobilizing more than 10,000 paramilitary forces and keeping the main narco-terror group on the defensive. And Saudi Arabia, he said, killed or captured the top 26 senior al-Qaida members in that country by the end of 2005.

Furthermore, Crumpton said, Libya and Sudan, though still included as state sponsors of terrorism, "took positive steps in the fight against terrorism." Libya continued its counterterror cooperation with the United States in Africa and the Middle East. And Sudan continued to cooperate against international terrorist elements believed to be operating inside its borders. (See related article.)

"However, despite these positive steps," Crumpton said, "we are deeply concerned about the Sudanese government's role in Darfur" [and] "must continue to work with the Sudanese government and others to resolve this issue before we can move further."

MULTILATERAL EFFORTS

According to Crumpton, the U.N. Security Council, the U.N. General Assembly, and the Group of Eight (G8) all took significant actions against terrorism. The Security Council, he said, passed Resolution 1617 (which strengthened existing sanctions against the Taliban and al-Qaida) and Resolution 1624 (dealing with incitement to terrorism and matters related to it). The General Assembly meanwhile, in its high-level plenary in September 2005, clearly and unequivocally condemned terrorism.

The G8, he said, agreed to strengthen international standards for issuing passports; developed new measures to counter shoulder-fired, ground-to-air missiles; established a contact network for aviation threat emergencies; and expanded transportation security training and assistance to non-G8 countries. (See related article.)

CURRENT INITIATIVES

Crumpton noted two specific regional initiatives. One was the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative, an ongoing effort to strengthen the region's counterterrorism capabilities, enhance and make permanent security force cooperation, promote democratic governance, discredit terrorist ideology and reinforce bilateral military ties with the United States. (See related article.)

The other program is the Regional Strategic Initiative, which is an effort to develop flexible regional networks of interconnected U.S. Embassy and consulate country teams. Spearheaded by the counterterrorism coordinator's office, the program works with U.S. ambassadors and other U.S. agency representatives in key terrorist areas to conduct threat assessment and develop strategies, actionable initiatives and policy recommendations, he said. (See related article.)

Source: U.S. Department of State

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