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Iraq Remains Central Front for Terrorist Activity

Report faults Iran, Syria for promoting terrorism

Iraq remains the central arena for terrorist activity worldwide, and Iran and Syria continue to play a destabilizing role in the Middle East by supporting terrorist groups in the region, the State Department says.

International intervention in Iraq brought measurable benefits, such as the removal of an abusive totalitarian regime, but also "has been used by terrorists as a rallying cry for radicalization and extremist activity that has contributed to instability in neighboring countries," according to the State Department's 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism, released April 30.

The report identifies the February 2006 bombing of the al-Askariyya Mosque in Samarra as a pivotal event that pushed the conflict in Iraq toward sectarian violence. This sectarian violence "furthered the terrorists' goals by creating instability and weakening the government," it says.

According to a National Counterterrorism Center statistical annex issued simultaneously, the number of terrorist attacks in Iraq jumped more than 90 percent from 2005 to 2006 and accounts for 45 percent of the more than 14,000 terrorist incidents worldwide. The 13,000 terrorism fatalities in Iraq account for 65 percent of terrorism deaths worldwide.

The State Department report notes that al-Qaida in Iraq remained active despite the death of its former leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in June 2006 and that it joined forces with smaller Sunni Islamist groups to form the "Islamic State of Iraq."

Iran continues interfering in Iraq's internal affairs through its material, logistical and financial support for militant Shia groups, the report says.

The report notes that Syria has upgraded its border security measures and has begun monitoring military-age men who might be entering Syria with the intention of going to fight in Iraq. It says Syria deported more than 1,200 foreign extremists and arrested more than 4,000 Syrians headed to fight in Iraq.

However, the report faults both Syria and Iran for their support of militant Palestinian groups and Lebanon's Hezbollah in their attacks against Israel. It notes that several militant Palestinian groups maintain their headquarters in Damascus.

Palestinian militants and Lebanese Hezbollah attacked Israel with Qassam and Katyusha rockets throughout the year, and Palestinians carried out two suicide bombings at a Tel Aviv bus station, according to the report. It says the ruling Palestinian Hamas party refrained from launching rockets into Israel, but expressed support for other groups' rocket attacks and suicide bombings.

The report attributes the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah to the Lebanese militants' cross-border incursion into Israel during which they killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two others.

The report says Lebanon experienced political violence throughout the year, including attacks on Lebanese security forces and the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. It notes that the Lebanese armed forces took up positions in Hezbollah-controlled territory in southern Lebanon for the first time in decades, but it adds that Hezbollah remains a potent terrorist force in the country, in part because of its official recognition as a political party.

Egypt suffered a dramatic terrorist attack at its Red Sea resort of Dahab in April 2006, killing 24 people and injuring 87 others. The report attributes the attack to a local group of Bedouin extremists and says Egyptian authorities claim to have killed or arrested most of the group's leadership. The report raises the concern that Egypt's remote northern Sinai region may be serving as a transshipment zone for arms and explosives destined for militant Palestinian groups in Gaza. Israel discovered and destroyed at least 17 tunnels between Egypt and Gaza during the year.

A potentially devastating terrorist attack targeted the Abqaiq oil facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in February 2006. However, the attackers succeeded in killing only themselves and two security guards. The report says Saudi security forces killed or captured all the members of the Abqaiq terrorist cell and captured dozens of other individuals involved in terrorist support networks around the country.

Algeria experienced a rise in terrorist activity in late 2006. This came with the merger of a local terrorist group and al-Qaida and followed a six-month amnesty program for those involved in civil unrest during the 1990s. The report says the amnesty offer, part of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's national reconciliation plan, apparently stiffened the resolve of the remaining terrorists.

Several countries across the region drafted new terrorism legislation and tightened regulations on money laundering and terrorist financing during the year. These include Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The report also states that several countries launched initiatives aimed at promoting religious tolerance and moderation. These include Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The report notes that the United States rescinded Libya's designation as a state sponsor of terror in June 2006, saying that Libya has followed through with its pledge to renounce terrorism and cooperate with the international community on counterterrorist efforts.

Source: U.S. Department of State