Major Outbreaks - Recent
- Truck bombings killed at least 500 in Iraq 2007 - The death toll rose to at least 500 in these suicide bombings. These bombings were targeted at villages on the border of Iraq with Syria. These attacks were aimed at Kurdish villages in an attempt to show that the American people were not capable of fighting and that their troop effeciency was deteriorating. Accordingly, this violence has to do with widening the racial ethnic group divide in Iraq, and thus demonstrates the increasing strength of Al-Qaeda in dominating the violence.
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2007 Karachi Bombings - In Pakistan, two suicide bombings took place close by a truck that was reported carrying former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The bombs were detonated in a crowded street of supporters after her homecoming from exile. Even though there were 20,000 security officers to protect her, the terrorists were able to inflict a punishing defeat on her supporters. At least 136 were killed and 387 wounded. A later attack succeeded in assassinating Bhutto. Suspects include the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
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Commuter Train blasts in India; at least 174 deaths 2006 - A succession of seven blasts killed at least 174 civilians on commuter trains and stations in Mumbai. 464 people were wounded and all of the seven blasts occurred between an 11 minute time span. It was suspected that two Islamic terrorist groups were responsible for the attack as they had previously fought over the disputed Kashmir region. Analysts believed that if the Indians found that that a Pakistani activist group was responsible for these bombings, it could result in major chaos and disruption of the two and a half years of peace negotiations and other positive moves on behalf of these two countries. The government of India expected this attack as they had some intelligence reports, but they were unaware of the place and the time.
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Suitcase bombs Germany 2006 - Two suitcase bombs were discovered on regional trains and were part of a terrorist attack that failed to execute properly. If these bombs had detonated, they could have resulted in some serious casualties. Evidence points to Lebanese students who were outraged at the German Muhammad cartoons and thus attempted to attack Germany. They tried to overlap their attack with the 2006 Football World Cup held in Germany.
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7 July 2005 London Bombings - These bombing attacks were a series of Islamic terrorist bombs that detonated at various points in London’s public transport system. The bombs exploded on buses, underground trains, and in crowded public areas. There were a total of 52 deaths and 700 injuries. These attacks comprised the largest and most threatening attacks in London’s history.
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SuperFerry 14 bombed in Philippines 2004 - This bombing killed 116 and is considered the world’s deadliest terrorist attack at sea. It was most probably caused by the Abu Sayyaf militant group and has been associated with al-Qaeda. An official investigation concluded that an explosive device had caused the fire on the SuperFerry 14. The police quickly implemented security measures to prevent similar attacks. The Abu Sayyaf is on Washington’s list of international terrorist groups and claims responsibility for the explosion. The perpetrators are being persecuted for multiple counts of manslaughter and possession of illegal substances.
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Presidential Catastrophe August 7, 2002 Colombia - Mortars were fired against the Presidential Palace in Bogotá during the inauguration ceremony of President Alvaro Uribe Velez. 13 civilians were killed and 50 were wounded. The guerilla group FARC is blamed for these attacks, and is the reason that Colombia has been engaged in a fierce battle between the country’s largest drug trade institution. This conflict took more lives a day than the Middle Easy conflict and created an aura of instability in Colombia. The president promised to double the size of the military in order to fight these terrorist groups.
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Russia Hostage Situation 2002 - On October 23, 50 Chechen terrorists armed with firearms and explosives took 800 people hostage in the middle of a music theater performance in Moscow. They threatened to kill the hostages unless Russia ended its war in Chechnya. On the third day, the Russian police used a gas based drug to end the mini crisis. All of the perpetrators were killed and 117 hostages died from the effects of the gas. Due to the large number of civilian casualties, the success of this mission is an issue of major dispute.
