Greece is the European country most at risk of a terror attack
Somalia and Yemen are now more at risk from terrorist attacks than before, revealed Maplecroft’s terror risk threat map. The East Afican country dropped from 4th place to 1st in the Terrorism Risk Index, overtaking Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Between June 2009 and June 2010, Somalia experienced 556 terrorist incidents, with a total of 1,437 people killed and a further 3,408 wounded.
The principle threat comes from the Islamist al Shabaab, which has claimed responsibility for many deadly attacks, including its first major international attack in Kampala, Uganda in July 2010, where 74 people were killed, reported Maplecroft.
Yemen is now placed 9th in the Index, having previously been 22nd, and as a result enters the “extreme” risk category for the first time, joining 15 other countries.
From June 2009 to June 2010, Yemen suffered from 109 attacks, primarily from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is causing growing alarm among Western intelligence services as the group plans more attacks abroad.
AQAP were responsible for the failed printer cartridge bomb attacks in October 2010.
Greece has also dropped dramatically in the index, falling 33 places to 24th, overtaking Spain (27th) as the European country most at risk of terror attacks.
Last year Greece suffered 180 terrorist attacks, even more than in Yemen. Fortunately the attacks tended to be non-fatal, but they were still highly disruptive.
For example, in November 2010, a series of parcel bombs were addressed to embassies in Athens as well as to European leaders and institutions.
“For business, assessing exposures to terrorism is becoming increasingly necessary”, said Professor Alyson Warhurst, Maplecroft CEO. “Business assets are vulnerable in certain high risk countries. For example, recent months have seen attacks on oil and gas workers in the Niger Delta, mining operations in Chhattisgarh, India and the failed attempt to conceal devices in the freight of cargo planes flying out of Yemen.”
There are no major Western economies that fall within the “high” or “extreme” risk categories, with US, France and UK all in the “medium risk”, and Canada and Germany in the “low risk” categories.
