The evil of terrorism continued to plague the world throughout 2002, from Bali to Grozny to Mombasa. At the same time, the global war against the terrorist threat was waged intensively in all regions with encouraging results.
The year saw the liberation of Afghanistan by Coalition forces, the expulsion of al-Qaida and the oppressive Taliban regime, the destruction of their terrorist training infrastructure, and the installation of a transitional government committed to democracy and economic development.
Al-Qaida terrorists are on the run, and thousands of them have been detained. More than one third of al-Qaida’s top leadership has been killed or captured, including some who conspired in the September 11 attacks, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, and the 1998 bombings of two US Embassies in East Africa.
Moreover, the global antiterrorism coalition that was forged in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States remains united.
The world is fighting terrorism on five fronts: diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement, financial, and military.
