The US State Department has just released its annual report on global terrorism. It concluded that attacks have risen by 40 per cent in just one year and that more than 22,000 people died in terror related incidents in 2007. Tim Davis is a political officer with the US State Department and was one of the co-authors of the report.

Jim Middleton, Presenter: Tim Davis, welcome to the program.

Tim Davis, political officer, US State Department: Thank you, Jim, I appreciate it, I'm happy to be here.

Jim Middleton: Twenty-two thousand deaths from terrorism last year around the world, according to your report, that's up about 2,000 in 12 months, that's a pretty pessimistic picture, isn't it?

Tim Davis: Well, I don't know that it's pessimistic. You've read the report, you're probably aware the methodology for counting those deaths has changed a little bit but we understand, and I think that governments around the world who are partners in this fight against terror understand, that this is a long war and it's a somewhat organic and shifting war. We're not expecting to win this overnight, nor are we expecting that there won't be tragedy attendant to this war on terror. We expect to do better. We've done better, along with our partners, and we expect to do better in the future.

Jim Middleton: I noticed that your own Russ Travers, from the National Counterterrorism Centre in Washington, made this comment in releasing the report that 'around the globe people are getting increasingly efficient at killing other people.' What should we read into that?

Tim Davis: I wouldn't read too much into it but I would point out that our opponents in this war on terror are happy to attack innocents, they're happy to attack what they see as soft targets, that sort of efficiency is tragic and obviously is something that we're hoping to stop. But I think that in this case, it's absolutely true that if you aren't mindful and aren't thoughtful about the people that you're killing, you will be more effective, and that's what we find our opponents are doing. They're happy to kill non-combatants and what they would consider soft targets around the world.

Jim Middleton: You noted at the beginning of this interview that terrorism is organic in character. The report notes the increasing use of suicide bombers which tends to kill more people, more efficiently to put it ghoulishly. Doesn't this show that whatever counter terrorism measures are introduced, terrorists will find new ways of sending their fatal messages?

"You don't diminish terrorism simply with military forces."

Tim Davis: Not at all. I think it would be a mistake to think of counter terrorism only in a military, under a military rubric. In fact development, ensuring that people are well fed, have good jobs and good home lives play a part in counter terrorism. You don't diminish terrorism simply with military forces. You diminish it with making people's lives better, and so I think your point's well taken, but the fact of the matter is that our effort against terrorism is broader than just attempting to counter suicide bombers. It is part and parcel of our counter terrorism effort to make people's lives better.

Jim Middleton: What then of the criticism that the United States and indeed other countries like Australia, spend a great deal of money on bombs and bullets, but what's needed is winning hearts and minds to use the old Vietnam phrase through supporting development projects, schools, education and countering poverty, which some of the terrorist groups or terrorist related groups do pretty well themselves?

Tim Davis: Sure, and I understand your point. I think that that frame of thought, that frame of mind is at least five or six years old. Our partners to include Australia are spending a great deal of their gross domestic product on feeding starving nations around the world, on capacity building both in the region and throughout the world.

I don't know that it's fair to say that a great deal of money is not being spent, but at the same time, I think we're all aware that there is in fact a military aspect to this, and in order to win this war, we're going to have to do this hand in hand with development. And so as we continue to try to maintain an edge on our opponents, we'll spend what's necessary but we're also cognisant of the fact that we need to be spending money on beans and blankets as we used to call it, on ensuring that people have a quality of life that their children can aspire to.

Jim Middleton: Yes, talking further about the dynamic organic nature of this challenge, do you think or do your people think that the world shortage of food that has suddenly come to hand has the potential to create more disenfranchised people, and that leads to further terrorism, possibly?

Tim Davis: Well, obviously our hope is that the world will react to that crisis in a way that will blunt attempts at bringing terrorism into that, into that crisis. But I think it's a fair point. Distress is a part of what makes countering terrorism, and the sort of radical story, distress is what makes that very, very difficult. So I think that the world is paying attention to the food crisis and I think the multilateral organisations are looking at ways to help solve that problem.

Jim Middleton: You've seen an extensive service in Iraq. There, according to your report, casualties are about the same, or the level of attacks are about the same, casualties are up a little bit. What does that say about the effectiveness of the surge?

"I think it's clear that the surge is working.

Tim Davis: Well I think it's clear that the surge is working. As I said at the beginning of the interview, this is, this is an opponent that adapts not as well as we do, frankly, but this is an opponent that moves on to targets that they think they can capitalise on. My time in Najaf, Iraq, showed me that if you create an environment that's safe, if you allow people to go to work every day and come home safely to their families, that sort of plants the seed of future freedom and moving away from the terrorist ideology.

Jim Middleton: These are year on year statistics, is there any sign that subsequent to the surge, that there's actually been a drop off in both attacks and casualties?

Tim Davis: Well, I think if I'm not mistaken, we're sort of looking at levels at present that go back to late 2005, with regard to the violence, but I think one of the things you have to take into account is the ability of the terrorists, Al Qaeda and Iraq in particular, their ability to pull off large attacks like the one we saw in Somara has been diminished, and that's one of the ways that you can sort of look at how we're countering what they're doing. The surge is not just about diminishing numbers, it's about diminishing their ability to carry out attacks whenever they feel free to.

Jim Middleton: Look, one difficult question before we move on, what does the administration say to suggestions that some of US Government activities, notably rendition, share some of the hallmarks of terrorist activity?

Tim Davis: Well, I wouldn't speak to that directly but I will say that the war on terror is broad, and there are a number of things that we're doing to ensure the safety not just of American citizens but of citizens around the world. While I won't speak to rendition specifically, I will say that in the long haul over the last five, six years, we've moved towards a more peaceful world and along with our partners we think we're doing everything we can to ensure it continues to become more peaceful.

Jim Middleton: Now, while new trouble spots in the terrorism picture are emerging, the Asia Pacific, perhaps except for the Philippines and southern Thailand, does seem to be something of a success story, why do you think that is?

"Australia, along with their partners in the region, is changing the structure of how you fight terror."

Tim Davis: Well, to be perfectly blunt, I think Australia has a great deal to do with that. There's a Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation where a number of classes about law enforcement capacity building is held. Australia has taken up the charge of helping nations that want to enhance their legal structure, come up with laws that allow them when they have caught terror suspects or terrorist activity has been spotted, allows them to prosecute, allows them to find the offenders and put them in jail for a long period of time. To be fair, Australia, along with their partners in the region, is changing the structure of how you fight terror and we certainly applaud that.

Jim Middleton: Is it possible that organisations like Jemaah Islamiah are simply regrouping after setbacks?

Tim Davis: Well I mean you bring up JI there. I mean that's one of the great success stories is that they're running out of open area to operate. Whether they're regrouping or not, the effort by Australia and our partners in the region is to ensure that they don't find open ground to commit these acts of atrocities. So they're a good example of how we're staying dynamic and staying on the move, and just because there seems to be a lull in their activity doesn't mean we've stopped trying to find ways to fight their efforts.

Jim Middleton: Now, what about Pakistan and Afghanistan, where it does seem that the Taliban in particular but also Al Qaeda appear to be remarkably adept at remaining on the front foot. That is quite a difficult struggle for NATO and the allies?

Tim Davis: It is. You're absolutely right, Jim. I would point out that we are under no illusion this isn't going to be a long war, nor are we under any illusion that they have the ability to adapt to our tactics. As I mentioned previously, we continue to change how we fight them and find them and will continue to do so. I think that we're looking forward to working with the new government in Pakistan, we're trying to find ways to help them take a foothold in regions where they might not have before, and so it's important to us to continue to move, continue to fight and certainly, Australia's been at the forefront of that.

Jim Middleton: Just quickly then on the new Pakistan Government, are you confident that it will be more aggressive in preventing seepage of Taliban through the border, safe havens getting out of the way?

Tim Davis: Well we think they've said that they intend to be and so we're willing to work with, as you've seen around the world, anyone who takes up the cause of fighting terrorism. They're brand new, we'll have to see what happens, but they certainly appear to intend to try to put a stranglehold on terrorism and radicalism in regions where they may not have before.

Jim Middleton: Tim Davis, thanks very much for your time

Tim Davis: Thank you, Jim.