article the

[vcolts]

The following is from a newspaper:
Violence in Libya led to the deaths of four Americans...

Q. Shouldnt there be an article the in front of violence? If it's correct without, could you explain why?

Thanks in advance.

[riquecohen]

I would say that if this is the first reference to this particular topic, the sentence you have quoted is correct; you are talking about violence in a context that the reader knows nothing about yet. On the other hand, if the reader has already heard about the situation and knows which incidence of violence is being referred to, the article the is generally used.