Podcast
South Asia new terror hub, US agency reports
Updated: 2010-04-29 11:08
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Increases in terror attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan triggered a spike in the number of civilians killed or wounded there last year, and pushed South Asia past the Middle East as the top terror region in the world, according to new figures compiled by a US intelligence agency.
Thousands of civilians - overwhelmingly Muslim - continue to be slaughtered in extremist attacks, contributing to the instability of the often shaky, poverty-stricken governments in the region, according to statistics compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center.
The struggling nations provide havens for terrorists who are increasingly targeting the US and other Western nations. At the same time, US-led operations against insurgents climbed in both countries.
"The numbers, to a certain extent, are a reflection of where the enemy is re-gathering," said Juan Zarate, a top counter-terror official in the Bush administration.
"So, to the extent we are seeing more attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it's a reflection of resistance to US policy and presence as well as a strategic shift by groups like Al-Qaida and foreign jihadis to concentrate where they think they will be most effective," he said.
The numbers show that nearly 7,000 civilians were killed and injured in Afghanistan terror attacks last year, a 44 percent increase over 2008. In Pakistan, more than 8,600 were killed and wounded last year, a 30 percent jump.
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About the broadcaster:
Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant. She came to China from the United States.
