WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Attacks by jihadist groups and the rate of fatalities in those attacks have increased significantly since the invasion of Iraq, according to a new study.

The study's authors data shows a sevenfold increase in the global yearly rate of fatal jihadist attacks.

"Even when terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan is excluded, fatal attacks in the rest of the world have increased by more than one-third," [said] Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, authors of the study.

The co-authors are research fellows at the Center on Law and Security at the NYU School of Law. Bergen is also a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, a public policy institute.

The study demonstrates "what we all knew intuitively to be true: that the Iraq war has radicalized a new generation and created a lot more jihadist terrorism," Bergen said at an event at the New America Foundation on Wednesday...

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