Trump says terror attacks 'under-reported': Is that true?
- 7 February 2017
- From the section US & Canada
US President Donald Trump has accused the media of under-reporting terror attacks, and produced a list to back up his claim. Is he right?
While on a visit to US Central Command, a wing of the Department of Defense, he warned of the danger posed by the Islamic State group.
"You have seen what happened in Paris and Nice. All over Europe it's happening," he said.
"It's gotten to a point where it's not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it.
"They have their reasons, and you understand that."
Later in the day, the White House published a list of attacks "executed or inspired" by IS. Before the list was published, press secretary Sean Spicer said there were "several instances" of attacks that had not gained sufficient media coverage (without specifying which fell into that category).
We have reproduced the list that was subsequently produced below, and explained what happened in each case and whether we reported on it.
Just because the BBC covered an attack does not mean that incident was not under-reported, although it is unclear whether Mr Trump was referring to US or global news organisations.
Some terrorist incidents do get more coverage than others, a point hotly debated on social media.
Most of the atrocities listed by the White House were committed by Islamists, and the killing of nine black worshippers by a self-avowed white supremacist in South Carolina is notably absent.
Absent too is the 2016 bombing of a shopping centre in Baghdad that killed some 300 people, and last week's deadly assault on a mosque in Quebec City.
Do you know of a terror attack that the BBC did not report? Tell us about it - where did take place? When did it happen? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
The White House List
Ottawa, October 2014
What happened: A soldier is killed at a war memorial by gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, who had converted to Islam but not displayed militant behaviour. The shooting continued inside parliament.
Did we cover it? Yes. We had extensive coverage of the Ottawa attack, but here's our timeline of events, and our live coverage of the shootings.
New York City, October 2014
What happened: Policemen were attacked by a man wielding an axe
Did we cover it? Yes.
Riyadh, November 2014
What happened: Four people, including two policemen, were killed in a shootout near the Saudi capital
Did we cover it? Yes.
Abu Dhabi, December 2014
What happened: An American teacher was killed by an Emirati woman in the toilet of a shopping centre
Did we cover it? Yes. Here's our first report into the attack, and here's our report when the perpetrator was executed.
Sydney, December 2014
What happened: Three people, including the Iranian hostage taker, were killed in the 16-hour siege of a cafe in central Sydney
Did we cover it? Yes, extensively - here is our timeline of events, and our live coverage.
Joue les Tours, France, December 2014
What happened: A man brandishing a knife shouting "God is great" in Arabic is shot dead by police,
Did we cover it? Yes.
Paris, January 2015
What happened: Attacks, including a gun assault on the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo magazine and a siege in a kosher supermarket, leave 17 people dead.
Did we cover it? Yes. As the biggest terror attack in a Western country in several years, the attacks gained a huge amount of coverage. Here is our detailed report of the events in Paris that month. You can find more material, including obituaries for the victims, here.
Tripoli, Libya, January 2015
What happened: Nine people, including at least five foreigners, died in an attack on a hotel.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Riyadh, January 2015
What happened: It's not clear. There are no reports of an attack in the Saudi capital that month. But two US citizens were caught up in a gun attack in the north of the country.
Nice, February 2015
What happened: Three soldiers were attacked with a knife outside a Jewish centre in the southern French city.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Copenhagen, February 2015
What happened: Two people were killed and five injured in two attacks in the Danish capital; the attacker was later killed.
Did we cover it? Yes. Our news channels provided rolling coverage of the search for the attacker - here is one of our online reports of the events.
Tunis, March 2015
What happened: An attack on the Bardo Museum in the Tunisian capital killed 22 people.
Did we cover it? Yes. You can see some of our coverage here and the stories from some of the survivors here.
Karachi, April 2015
What happened: Seven Pakistani policemen, three of whom were guarding polio workers, were killed.
Did we cover it? Yes - you can also read about the deadly struggle of Pakistan's polio workers here.
Paris, April 2015
What happened: There were no terror attacks in the French capital this month. The White House may be referring to the arrest of a man, who had apparently shot himself by accident, on suspicion of plotting to blow up churches.
Zvornic, Bosnia, April 2015
What happened: A gunman shouting "God is great" in Arabic attacked a police station, killing one officer and injuring two more.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Garland, Texas, May 2015
What happened: Two gunmen were shot dead after opening fire outside a conference on cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a suburb of Dallas.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Boston, June 2015
What happened: The White House document may be referring to the deadly shooting by police of 26-year-old Usaama Rahim, who had been under 24 hour surveillance, and approached officers with a knife.
Did we cover it? Yes.
El Gora, Egypt, June 2015
What happened: It's not clear, but this probably refers to ongoing violence between IS and Egyptian authorities on the Sinai peninsula.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Sousse, Tunisia, June 2015
What happened: A gunman attacked a seafront hotel, killing 38 people, including 30 British tourists.
Did we cover it? Yes. You can read our special report on the Sousse tragedy here, learn more about what happened that day here, and learn more about the victims here.
Lyon, June 2015
What happened: A man was beheaded at a factory by one of his employees.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Cairo, July 2015
What happened: A blast that badly damaged the Italian consulate in Cairo was later claimed by the Islamic State group
Did we cover it? Yes.
Paris, August 2015
What happened: This entry probably refers to the attack by a radical Islamist on a train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris, which was foiled by six passengers.
Did we cover it? Yes. And here's our story on how the hero passengers were awarded afterwards.
El Gora, Egypt, September 2015
What happened: It is not clear. But four American and two Fijian peacekeepers from the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) were wounded by two roadside bomb blasts in the Sinai peninsula.
Did we cover it? No, but you can read the Washington Post's story here. Two weeks earlier, we had published this piece on the insurgency in Sinai.
Dhaka, September 2015
What happened: An Italian aid worker was shot dead in the diplomatic district of Bangladesh's capital
Did we cover it? Yes.
Copenhagen, September 2015
What happened: This probably refers to a Bosnian-born Danish national who shot three people, and whom police said had sympathies with IS.
Did we cover it? We didn't, but you can read more from The Local Denmark here.
El Gora, Egypt, October 2015
What happened: It is unclear what incident this entry on the list refers to. That month, two police officers were killed by an explosion at a police station and an ultraconservative Islamist parliamentary candidate was shot dead both in el-Arish, in the northern Sinai peninsula.
Parramatta, Australia, October 2015
What happened: An Australian born in Iran and of Iraqi-Kurdish heritage killed police worker Curtis Cheng.
Did we cover it? Yes. This is one of the reports we ran over several days.
Rangpur, Bangladesh, October 2015
What happened: A Japanese man was shot dead in northern Bangladesh.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Hasana, Egypt, October 2015
What happened: This refers to an area of the Sinai peninsula near where a Russian airliner was brought down by a bomb, killing all 224 people on board. The incident was covered in forensic detail by international media.
Did we cover it? Yes. Here's what we wrote on all we know about the crash - you can see our live coverage from the day here.
Merced, California, November 2015
What happened: Four people were stabbed by a student, who police later said had been inspired by IS
Did we cover it? Yes. We reported on the incident only when the IS links were detailed four months later.
Paris, November 2015
What happened: The explosions at the Stade de France and gun attacks on restaurants, bars and the Bataclan nightclub killed 130 people. The attacks, committed by IS militants, were one of the most widely-reported stories in recent years.
Did we cover it? Yes. You can read our detailed run-down on the events of the night here, and learn more on the victims here. Our special report on the Paris attacks, bringing together our most important material, is here.
Dinajpur, Bangladesh, November 2015
What happened: An Italian priest, Piero Parolari, is attacked by unknown assailants on a motorbike, but survives.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Rajlovac, Bosnia, November 2015
What happened: A suspected Islamist shot dead two policemen before blowing himself up.
Did we cover it?Yes.
San Bernardino, California, December 2015
What happened: A married couple, Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook, attacked a community centre, killing 14 people and injuring 21 more. It was one of the deadliest mass shootings in years.
Did we cover it? Yes. Here is our full breakdown of the events in San Bernardino, what we know about the victims and the attackers. And you can find all our coverage on US gun violence here.
London, December 2015
What happened: A man with a knife attacked passengers at Leytonstone underground station, shouting "this is for Syria". Muhiddin Mire was later jailed for life.
Did we cover it? Yes, from beginning to end.
Derbent, Russia, December 2015
What happened: A gun attack on a citadel in Dagestan killed one person and injured 11 more. It was later claimed by IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Cairo, January 2016
What happened: Nine people, including six policemen, died in a raid on a militant hideout.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Paris, January 2016
What happened: On the anniversary of the first Paris attacks, a man carrying a meat cleaver was shot dead as he tried to attack a police station. He was found with a piece of paper saying he had pledged allegiance to IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Philadelphia, January 2016
What happened: A police officer was ambushed by a man who had pledged allegiance to IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Hurghada, Egypt, January 2016
What happened: Three tourists were stabbed at the Red Sea resort.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Marseille, January 2016
What happened: A Turkish Kurd teenager attacked a Jewish teacher in France, saying he was acting in the name of IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Istanbul, January 2016
What happened: A suicide bomber with IS links killed 10 people near the city's Blue Mosque.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Jakarta, January 2016
What happened: A series of explosions and gun attacks in the Indonesian capital killed eight people, including the four attackers.
Did we cover it? Yes - here's everything we know about what occurred.
Columbus, Ohio, February 2016
What happened? A man who attacked four people with a machete in a restaurant, Mohamed Barry, was killed by police. He was later found to have IS links.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Hanover, Germany, February 2016
What happened: In Germany's first attack by an IS sympathiser, a teenage girl stabbed and seriously wounded a police officer in the neck.
Did we cover it? Yes, although only when the girl was sentenced to six years in prison in January.
Istanbul, March 2016
What happened: A suicide bomber struck a busy shopping area, killing four people.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Brussels, March 2016
What happened: Bombings at Brussels airport and a metro station in the city killed 32 people from around the world. IS said it was behind the attacks.
Did we cover it? Very much so. You can find our entire coverage and analysis here, as well as the run-through of what we know and the stories of the victims.
Essen, Germany, April 2016
What happened: A teenager whom police said was motivated by radical Islam bombed a Sikh temple, injuring three people.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Orlando, June 2016
What happened: The deadliest mass shooting in US history claimed 49 victims at a gay nightclub. Gunman Omar Mateen had pledged allegiance to IS, but his link to the group is unclear.
Did we cover it? Yes. Here is our special report into the shooting and here's our detailed run-through of the events of that night.
Magnanville, France, June 2016
What happened: A jihadist loyal to IS murdered a couple, both police employees, at their home west of Paris.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Kabul, June 2016
What happened: This entry could refer either to the Taliban bombing of a police convoy, that killed 30 people and injured 50 more, or to a suicide blast that killed 14 Nepali employees of the Canadian embassy.
Istanbul, June 2016
What happened: Three attackers targeted the city's Ataturk airport, firing shots at crowds before blowing themselves up; 45 people were killed, and Turkish authorities said the attackers were linked to IS. Note that another deadly attack in the city in June 2016 was not on the White House's list.
Did we cover it? Yes. We also looked at how dangerous the growing instability in Turkey was.
Dhaka, July 2016
What happened: Islamist militants stormed a popular cafe in the Bangladeshi capital, killing 22 people.
Did we cover it?Yes.
Nice, July 2016
What happened: A lorry driver, not known to have jihadist sympathies, drove a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day, killing 86 people. IS later said he was acting on their behalf.
Did we cover it? Thoroughly. Here is what we know about the attack, a look at who committed it, a profile of the victims and analysis on what authorities in Nice had tried to do to stop jihadism.
Wurzburg, Germany, July 2016
What happened: A teenager injured four train passengers with an axe. IS released a video purporting to show him making threats.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Ansbach, Germany, July 2016
What happened: A Syrian man blew himself up, having made a video pledging allegiance to the leader IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Normandy, France, July 2016
What happened: Two men entered a church near Rouen and beheaded Father Jacques Hamel, 86. IS later said two of its "soldiers" had carried out the attack.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Charleroi, Belgium, August 2016
What happened: A man was shot dead after attacking police with a machete, while shouting "God is great" in Arabic.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Queensland, Australia, August 2016
What happened: This entry more than likely refers to the killing of British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung, whose attacker is alleged to have said "God is great" before killing her. A British man, Thomas Jackson, was wounded in the attack and later died.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Copenhagen, December 2016
What happened: Two police officers were shot during an operation in an area inhabited by squatters. While the shooter, a Bosnian-born man, was believed to have had IS sympathies, police said there was no evidence that extremism was behind the attack..
Did we cover it? Yes.
Paris, September 2016
What happened: A car packed with gas cylinders was found close to Notre Dame cathedral, in a plot police say was directed by IS.
Did we cover it? You know the tune by now. Yes.
Sydney, September 2016
What happened: Police said a man who repeatedly stabbed a 59-year-old man in a suburban park and then tried to stab a policeman was inspired by IS.
Did we cover it? Yes.
St Cloud, Minnesota, September 2016
What happened: Eight people were wounded in a stabbing attack at a shopping mall before the Somali-born attacker, claimed by IS as its "soldier", was shot dead by police.
Did we cover it? Yes.
New York and New Jersey, September 2016
What happened: A bombing in New York's Chelsea district injured 29 people and an unexploded device was found nearby. Earlier the same day, a pipe bomb exploded in a shore town ahead of a charity race. Afghan-born Ahmad Khan Rahami was later arrested.
Did we cover it? Yes, over several days.
Brussels, October 2016
What happened: Two police officers were stabbed by a man police said had jihadist sympathies.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Kuwait City, Kuwait, October 2016
What happened: An Egyptian man was detained after a bin lorry reportedly loaded with explosives crashed into a vehicle carrying five US soldiers. Only the alleged assailant was injured.
Did we cover it: No, but here is an article by the Associated Press, via the Chicago Tribune.
Malmo, Sweden, October 2016
What happened: A fire at a community centre that caused only minor damage was claimed by IS.
Did we cover it? No. But The Local Sweden did, adding that the claim by IS should be "taken with a pinch of salt".
Hamburg, October 2016
What happened: The entry probably relates to a raid on suspected Islamist terrorists from Chechnya.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Manila, Philippines, November 2016
What happened: There was no Islamist attack in the city in this month. The White House is possibly referring to the discovery of a suspected bomb outside the US embassy. Media in the Philippines linked it to a terror group with ties to IS.
Did we cover it? No.
Columbus, Ohio, November 2016
What happened: IS said it was behind a car and knife rampage at Ohio State University that left 11 people injured. The attack was carried out by a student, Somali-born Abdul Razak Ali Artan.
Did we cover it? Yes.
N'Djamena, Chad, November 2016
What happened: There were some reports of shots having been fired at the US embassy by an unknown perpetrator on 30 November, and the embassy itself said that there had been "a security incident". This may be the incident referred to by the White House, but no more detail was given.
Did we cover it? No.
Karak, Jordan, December 2016
What happened: A siege with militants inside a castle left at least 14 people dead, including a Canadian tourist.
Did we cover it? Yes.
Berlin, December 2016
What happened: A lorry smashed into a crowded Christmas market on 19 December, killing 12 people and injuring 49. Attacker Anis Amri, a Tunisian, was shot dead by Italian police on 23 December in Milan after a Europe-wide manhunt.
Did we cover it: In detail, yes.
Do you know of a terror attack that the BBC did not report? Tell us about it - where did take place? When did it happen? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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