Political Violence Against Americans Abroad in 2009

The State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security has released the 2009 publication of that invaluable series, Political Violence Against Americans.

Political Violence Against Americans, formerly Significant Incidents of Political Violence Against Americans, is produced by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis (DS/DSS/ITA) to provide readers with a comprehensive picture of the broad spectrum of political violence that American citizens and interests have encountered abroad on an annual basis

You can view the 2009 report at the link above, as well as archived reports for the years 2002 back to 1987. The series was not produced for the years 2003-2007, when the responsibility for producing such reports passed to the newly-established National Counterterrorism Center. The NTC took up that responsibility and - and here I am counting to ten and exercising restraint - made an unbelievably horrendous mess of it. I'm so glad to see this series once again being produced by people who know what they're doing.

Looking at all the political violence that has been inflicted on American citizens abroad makes me prouder than ever to be a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Americans).