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Terrorism now key business risk
LONDON, England -- Terrorism is now a key business risk for multinational corporations, with the United States ranking fourth on a list of countries most likely to be targeted by terrorists, the World Markets Research Center says. Colombia, the home of a long-running battle between drug barons and the government, ranks as the most likely target for an attack over the next year, according to the London-based WMRC. It is followed by Israel, Pakistan, the United States and the Philippines as the countries most at risk. The center said it created its global terrorism index in response to requests from its business clients. In assessing the risk of 186 countries, it found the isolationist state of North Korea the least likely to suffer a terror attack. Guy Dunn, author of the index, told CNN's Q&A program that the ranking for the United States was "realistic". He said that since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, terrorism had moved up sharply in the factors affecting the decisions of multinational businesses.
The index assesses the risk of terrorism to the countries and their interests abroad. The motivation of terrorists is the most important factor in making the assessments, with a weighting of 40 percent. The four other criteria are the presence of terror groups, the scale and frequency of past attacks, efficacy of the groups in carrying out attacks and how many attacks were prevented. "The fact that there have not been any major attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11 is by no means an indication that the United States is seen as any less of a target by terrorist organizations," the report says. "Because of its leading roles in the wars on Iraq, Afghanistan and terror, the U.S. remains the prime target for attacks by al Qaeda or its auxiliaries, both within the U.S. itself and, crucially, against U.S. interests abroad." The key ally of the United States in the war on terror, the United Kingdom, is ranked 10th on the list. Indonesia, the subject of terror attacks in Bali last year and more recently at the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, is ranked 7th. Other U.S. allies include Spain, ranked equal 19th with Saudi Arabia, and Australia at 38th. France is ranked 23rd and Germany 41st. Saudi Arabia, under pressure to curb Islamic militancy, on Monday passed an anti-money-laundering law aimed at curbing terrorist financing, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The Bush administration hailed the measure as "a very positive step." The new law labels the use of any money coming from a criminal or illegal source as money laundering. U.S. attack 'highly likely'The terrorism index report says another September 11-style terrorist attack in the United States is "highly likely". "Networks of militant Islamist groups are less extensive in the U.S. than they are in Western Europe, but U.S.-led military action in Afghanistan and Iraq has exacerbated anti-U.S. sentiment." According to Dunn's report, while the United States is a high-profile target, in terms of the presence of terrorist cells, the United States has relatively few, "although it is probably the most open society in the world," he said. Terrorists also consider American interests in other countries legitimate political targets, he said. Dunn said the United Kingdom, tied at 10th place with Sri Lanka, is a target partly because of its close relationship with the United States; its key roles in wars on Iraq, Afghanistan and terrorism; and the presence of sophisticated militant networks. But Britain also "probably has the strongest counter-terrorism capabilities in the world" because of years of fighting the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland, he said. About 80 percent of WMRC's clients are multinational companies and banks, Dunn said. In a client survey, 72 percent said they considered terrorism when making international location decisions, he said. -- CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott and the Associated Press contributed to this report Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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