Annual State Department Report on Terrorism

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http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=47174

BACKGROUND: The 2004 Country Reports on Terrorism, produced annually by the U.S. Department of State, was released on April 27th. The congressionally mandated report, known previously as the Patterns of Global Terrorism, is the subject of some controversy. The 2003 edition of the report was reissued after errors were found in the number of actual terrorist attacks reported in 2002 and the manner in which they were catalogued. The latest issue of the report omits the traditional annex detailing the number of terrorist attacks worldwide. Critics claim the State Department excluded the annex to hide statistics showing an increase in terrorist attacks worldwide. Administration officials suggest that updating standards for reporting and measuring incidents of terrorism worldwide are resulting in more accurate reports, an outcome consistent with the intent of Congress when it mandate such reports three years ago. The Committee on International Relations is currently considering updating the statute that mandates this report. This Subcommittee hearing will help in this effort as well as review the 2004 report.

WHAT: Subcommittee Oversight Hearing: Reviewing the State Department's Annual Report on Terrorism

Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation, U.S. Rep. Edward Royce (R-Calif.), chairman

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 12