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Global Terrorism Database

Here's an interesting database I'd not seen mentioned before.
http://www.start.umd.edu/data/gtd/

Found a reference to it in Jerry Pournelle's View From Chaos Manor.
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/view/v....html#Thursday

From his Thursday entry he recounted a conversation with a DHS official. I'm sure there's quite of few us who would have appreciated a chance to bend this official's ear a bit. I think Jerry did a good job of articulating our concerns on the $'s wasted in the name of security theatre.

Quote:

There was a fire drill today and I found myself outside next to an official in Airport and Aircraft security. I put it to him that Bin Laden never does the same things twice. On 9/11 we lost about $20 billion in buildings, and about 4 weekends worth of traffic casualties. Not a good thing, but the real disaster came when we then imposed about $40 billion a year in penalties on air travel and the airlines. We would be about as safe if we abolished the TSA and told the airlines that if they lose an airplane they better be insured against it. We would certainly be as safe against hijacked airplanes being flown into buildings as we are now. I also said that the main accomplishment of TSA is to make citizens feel like subjects.

Thanks for posting.

Check out this graphic: Terrorist Incidents by Perpetrator Type, 1998-2004.

WOW.

Quote:

Originally Posted by essxjay (Post 7801063)

Thanks for posting.

Check out this graphic: Terrorist Incidents by Perpetrator Type, 1998-2004.

WOW.

99.439% of statistics are made up. That's an interesting graphic, but we have no idea where the numbers come from or what exactly is being counted in there as a "terrorist incident."

Quote:

Originally Posted by xyzzy (Post 7801252)

99.439% of statistics are made up. That's an interesting graphic, but we have no idea where the numbers come from or what exactly is being counted in there as a "terrorist incident."

Check the link in the OP for the methodology (I did. ;))

Quote:

Originally Posted by essxjay (Post 7801629)

Check the link in the OP for the methodology (I did. ;))

Ahh -- I hadn't tied the graphic in to the other links. Thanks. It certainly is interesting!

Quote:

Originally Posted by essxjay (Post 7801063)

Thanks for posting.

Check out this graphic: Terrorist Incidents by Perpetrator Type, 1998-2004.

WOW.

LMAO at the "state-sponsored" category being near 0.

I guess they don't count the millions of people killed by state-sponsored wars, famines, etc. in that time period.

Well, there is an epistemological distinction between terrorist strike and its fallout or secondary consequences that must be accounted for if their methodology is to be credible (and therefore, useful). :-:

Quote:

Originally Posted by essxjay (Post 7801063)

Check out this graphic: Terrorist Incidents by Perpetrator Type, 1998-2004.

So 50%+ of all terrorist attacks are made by people who make no claims of responsibility & don't announce the cause they are fighting for.

Isn't that "odd"?

If you check the site, the explanation for the difference in methodology before 1998 and after explains the graph. Additionally, GTD2 (1998-2004 is in beta. @:-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanR (Post 7810968)

So 50%+ of all terrorist attacks are made by people who make no claims of responsibility & don't announce the cause they are fighting for.

Isn't that "odd"?

Or maybe they're dead and can't talk and multiple organizations take credit, making it indeterminable?