Washington: At least 35,000 people worldwide have been convicted of terrorism since September 11 attacks on the United States, and some countries are using the 'war on terror' as an excuse to dissent oppositions.

Prosecutions under new or toughened anti-terror laws, often passed with the funding of the West, have surged worldwide, as before 9/11 only a few hundred people were convicted of terrorism each year, the Associated Press reported.

The large number of convictions, along with almost 120,000 arrests worldwide shows how some countries are using the fight against terrorism to curb dissent and throw political opponents in jail.

The US, which leads the war on terror, has had 2,568 convictions and 2,934 arrests over the past decade.

While under heavy criticism for not handling terrorist suspects fairly, especially at the military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the US has yet failed to define terrorism clearly.

In fact, the FBI, the CIA, the Defense Department and the State Department don't agree on what terrorism really is.

After 9/11 attacks, the global war on terror was launched by the United Nations with the strong backing of the US.

The UN immediately spent millions of dollars on foreign aid and contracts, aiming to press countries to adopt or revise their anti-terror laws.

 

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