Somalia most at risk from terror attacks: study

LONDON — Somalia is the country most at risk from terror attacks after overtaking Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a worldwide study published Monday by a British global risks advisory firm.
The United States is placed 33rd, ahead of France, ranked 44, and Britain, ranked 47, according to the Terrorism Risk Index (TRI) calculated by the Maplecroft company.
Sixteen countries including Colombia, Thailand, the Philippines and India were deemed to be at "extreme" risk of attacks while Iran, Nigeria, Spain and Myanmar were all classed as "high" risk countries.
The index was calculated using information on the frequency and intensity of such attacks between June 2009 and June 2010 in 196 countries.
Somalia, which suffered 556 terror incidents and 1,437 deaths during the study period, faces a battle to curb the activities of the Shebab Islamic group, who have claimed responsibility for several bombings.
Maplecroft chief executive Alyson Warhurst highlighted the increasing importance of this kind of risk assessment within the business world.
Yemen moved up 13 places into the "extreme risk" category as the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula continues to gain in strength in the country.(AFP)