Between 2007 and 2011, almost half the world’s terror attacks took place in Iraq and Afghanistan — two countries under active occupation by the United States.

Washington, D.C. — An analysis of terror attacks since 2002 suggests U.S. efforts to combat terrorism — i.e., the “War on Terror” — have led to a dramatic increase in death and suffering from terrorism.

Published this year on Sept. 11, Paul Gottinger, a staff reporter for Reader Supported News, analyzed incidents of terrorism from George Bush declaring the war on terror in the aftermath of 9/11 through the present, and found a staggering 6,500 percent increase in terrorism. Gottinger, who used data provided by the State Department in his analysis, found that casualties have increased by 4,500 percent.