Article

Prof. addresses terrorist threat

Ostergard’s message stressed, “You don’t go through so much planning of (The Sept. 11 tragedy) just to end it there.”
Daniel Alliance - Staff Writer

www.binghamton.edu/photo
Professor Robert Ostergard spoke about terrorist threats this week

A Binghamton University political science professor is one of many wondering how and when the terrorists will attack next.

The professor, Robert Ostergard, spoke on Nov. 6 in the University Union about the events leading up to and following the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Ostergard’s message stressed, “You don’t go through so much planning of (The Sept. 11 tragedy) just to end it there.”

So many people are wondering what could possibly happen next.

This war is against people who are willing to die for their cause, Ostergard said. He was concerned that the United States has implemented greater security measures within the nation, but the government has not granted equal attention to its embassies overseas, not to mention tourist sites predominantly visited by Americans.

The nation’s water supply is threatened by the present chemical/biological warfare, Ostergard said. Because the nation is still unsure who is responsible for the warfare, it is difficult to determine the severity of the threat.

The speech also discussed the options the United States has now. Afghanistan as a country is no threat to our nation. However, the terrorists it harbors are.

So should our military enter such harboring countries and destroy all terrorist groups and/or Osama Bin Laden? Professor Ostergard said killing bin Laden would be beneficial in the short run, but might bring about more problems in the long run. He considered the actions of thousands of people who follow bin Laden’s fundamentalist views. If bin Laden is killed, it is possible he will be viewed as a martyr, and many others will rise in his place and die for his cause, Ostergard suggested.

So what is the solution to limit these terrorist actions? Ostergard claims the United States must first limit their financing. The United States and other countries must block the terrorists’ access to funds. The country must also selectively take out terrorist organizations and shut down terrorist camps. Syria and Sudan have terrorist camps where people are trained for combat, Ostergard said.

“With terrorism around, there will never be peace,” said sophomore psychobiology major Chris Arzberger.

Ostergard also discussed the advancing wave of terrorism.

“The face of terrorism and its purposes have changed over the past 30 years. We are now dealing with a new wave of terrorism that is random and unpredictable. The terrorists are willing to die for their cause. They don’t make demands or threats; they simply bomb and destroy.”

Bin Laden is linked to the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa. He is also responsible for the World Trade Bombing in 1993. But why is there so much opposition?

“There is a dirty side to being an international power (referring to the United States.). It is not all clean stuff,” Ostergard said.

Bin Laden is a pro-Islam Fundamentalist, who has opposed the United States’ presence in the Middle East, especially over the past 22 years. He feels the United States is responsible for the deaths of many Afghans. He also holds a grudge against the United States for its embargo on Iraq.

Mike Stanton, a senior philosophy, politics and law major, commented on the speech.

“(The speech) was very informative in raising awareness of what has happened to our nation and about what we can do to prevent attacks in the future.”