The report said that international intervention in Iraq has brought benefits.


State Department: Terror Attacks Up 25 Percent
Survey Says 14,000 Terror Attacks In 2006

POSTED: 4:56 am EDT May 1, 2007
UPDATED: 8:17 am EDT May 1, 2007

WASHINGTON -- A new State Department report says there were 25 percent more terrorist attacks worldwide last year and that extremists killed 40 percent more people than the previous year.

Related: Country Reports on Terrorism 2006

In its annual global survey of terrorism, the State Department says there were around 14,000 attacks in 2006.

The report says about 6,600 attacks took place in Iraq, but attacks also soared in Afghanistan.

The State Department designates Iran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, accusing it of aiding extremists throughout the Middle East, particularly in Iraq.

"Iran remains the most significant state sponsor of terrorism and continues to threaten its neighbors and destabilize Iraq by providing weapons, training, advice, and funding to select Iraqi Shia militants," the report said. "Syria also supports some Iraqi Baathists and militants and has continued to allow foreign fighters and terrorists to transit through its borders into Iraq."

The report said that international intervention in Iraq has brought benefits.

"It has removed an abusive totalitarian regime with a history of sponsoring and supporting regional terrorism and has allowed a new democratic political process to emerge, the report said. "It also, however, has been used by terrorists as a rallying cry for radicalization and extremist activity that has contributed to instability in neighboring countries."

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report.