ABSTRACT
The data base relies mainly on information from the mass communications media, professional publications, and government releases. Media information concerning terrorism is problematic for two reasons: first, coverage of events, especially those taking place in remote parts of the world, is sometimes deficient--although international terrorist incidents are generally covered better than domestic ones, and terrorist activity involving western interests receives particularly good coverage. The second point is related to the clandestine nature of terrorist activity. Inclusion of violent events associated with struggles of this sort would considerably distort the picture of international terrorism. There is usually no doubt regarding the very occurrence and the physical results of an incident. The statistics refer to incidents carried out by states’ agents when the attacks targeted either the public-at-large or individuals not associated with a dissident organization involved in terrorism. State-sponsored attacks against members of terrorist groups are considered part of a counterterrorism effort conducted by the state.
