Cognitive dissonance

The State Department recently published its annual terrorism assessment. Here's some of the news about it today.

Point:

More than 11,000 "terrorist" attacks took place around the world last year, killing 14,600 people, a US State Department report has said.

The annual Patterns of Global Terrorism figures showed that attacks had increased almost fourfold from the 3,129 in 2004.

Counter point:

The US says the increase is because of a change in methodology that devotes more energy to uncovering evidence of attacks on civilians.

Sure, all those dead people are still dead.

But the figures may fuel criticism of the Bush administration's claim that it is winning the "war on terror".

Sure will.

Point:

About 3,500 of last year's attacks took place in Iraq, the report said.

Counterpoint:

Despite this, the State Department says Iraq is not a haven for terrorism.

No, never!

Point:

The al-Qaeda network remains the most dangerous terrorist threat facing the US, despite the arrest of top operational planners in 2005, the State Department said.

Counterpoint:

Today, the Bush administration said that we have disrupted the operations of al-Qaeda by killing and capturing its leaders.