Terrorism is a management problem for the US, says academic expert

Jan. 30, 2002
The US can only manage terrorism at best but never eliminate it, a professor of government from California State University in Chico told industry representatives Wednesday at the 10th annual North American Prospects Expo in Houston.

Sam Fletcher
OGJ Online

HOUSTON, Jan. 30 -- The US can only manage terrorism at best but never eliminate it, a professor of government from California State University in Chico told industry representatives Wednesday at the 10th annual North American Prospects Expo in Houston.

Like international trade, environmental concerns, and crime, terrorism is "a management problem that will never go away but can only be managed better or worse over time," said Stafford Thomas, author of the book, The US Intelligence Community.

US government and military forces are well advanced in the first phase of dealing with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC, by identifying and locating the perpetrators and eliminating key elements of the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorist network.

But the second phase expansion of the US war on terrorism, or "living with what we've started," will probably be "more troublesome," Thomas said.

The Philippines may be the next area for US operations against terrorists. "But some of the countries that helped us in Afghanistan may be a hindrance if not a problem in attacking other terrorist groups," Thomas said.

The third and most difficult phase will be to deal with some fundamental international problems that sustain "the lure of terrorism," he said. That would include some resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian movement that has made militant Palestinians "the poster children for terrorism" in many countries, said Thomas.

Another "long-term challenge" is whether Saudi Arabia's ruling family will retain power and maintain a pro-US stance. "I don't know the depth of the dissidence with the existing government in that country, but it's there," Thomas said. "I don't know how the government will tackle that problem."

Success in the US war on terrorism -- or in business -- depends on the "trinity" of leadership, strategy, and the will of the people to support that program, he said.

"All of these are in place at the moment," said Thomas. "How well they continue to correlate will be the key indicator of the final results."

Contact Sam Fletcher at [email protected]