Country Reports on Terrorism 2015

“The term terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.”

    -From 22 U.S. Code § 2656f

In a year when the world continued to suffer from terrorist threats and attacks, the U.S. State Department in June 2016 released its annual review of global terrorism, the Country Reports on Terrorism 2015.

Although according to this report most attacks happened in a small group of countries (Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Nigeria, and Pakistan), the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) remained the greatest threat globally, being responsible for most deaths (6,050) versus runner-up Boko Haram (5,450.) ISIL also increased its focus on mass-casualty attacks, for example in France and Turkey, and was able to inspire attacks in 2015 by individuals or small groups of self-radicalized individuals in several cities around the world.   

In addition to an up-to-date description of the terror threat in many countries, it also includes an overview of 58 Foreign Terrorist Organizations, from the Abdallah Azzam Brigades in Lebanon to Tehrik-e Taliban in Pakistan. Furthermore, the Annex of Statistical Information offers information on the number of individuals, including U.S. citizens and dual nationals, killed, injured, or kidnapped by each terrorist group during 2015.

Students of terrorism, academics, journalists, and anyone concerned about the geopolitical state of the planet and the asymmetrical dangers the U.S. faces in the early 21st century will find this a vital background briefing.