OXFORDFormer U.S. Congressman and current Jacksonville State University political science professor Glen Browder talked Wednesday about the implications of terrorism on society.
He spoke before a meeting of the East Alabama Planning and Development Commission at the Best Western in Oxford.
"I bet every one of you knows someone who was either killed or you know someone who had a family member or friend killed," Browder said. "This is going to be a defining, or one of the defining experiences, of an entire generation."
In the weeks since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that claimed more than 6,000 lives and destroyed both World Trade Center towers as well as a portion of the Pentagon, Browder said he's answered many questions about terrorism. While in Congress, Browder was a member of the National Security Committee and Military Installations and Facilities Committee. He has been trained on anti-terrorism.
In defining terrorism, Browder said the purpose is to disrupt and demoralize an enemy. It is an attack on society that is outside the normal ways of the military.
"And they're not going to do that by marching in protest in front of the World Trade Center," he said. "They do horrible things because that's the only way they feel they can fight us."
One of the biggest concerns of area residents seems to be how terrorism will affect the area. Two facilities that could be possible terrorist targets are the Center for Domestic Preparedness at McClellan and the Anniston Army Depot, Browder said.
The center at McClellan will be a major center for the fight against terrorism, Browder said. The depot has 2,254 tons of nerve and mustard agent that cause concern.
However, authorities are taking precautions to combat possible actions by terrorists. Browder didn't address the precautions being taken.
Ninety-nine percent of the population won't be affected by terrorism, Browder said.
"I would not change my lifestyle, if I were you, because of terrorism," he said. "Just be prepared to accept some societal changes."
One segment that will be affected is national leaders. It's going to take President Bush's and Congress' time, energy and money to deal with terrorism, Browder said.
He said he believes Bush will take the appropriate action and will get Osama bin Laden. He's not just going after bin Laden to get him, but to convince people who support him that they don't want to be associated with him.
It's important to support the country's leaders in their efforts to combat terrorism, Browder said. The response probably will be sooner than later and stronger than weaker.
A woman in the audience wanted to know, "What is it about us they truly hate?"
The men who hijacked the planes are not insane and they don't hate America, Browder said. It's a resentment of the West.
They think America has a corrupt society and that it is corrupting their society.
"It is a very deep-seated cultural resentment that affects a small population of that society," he said. "The Muslims who did this are almost like what the Klan is to the South."
What makes today's terrorism different is that terrorists make no distinction between the military and civilians. Weapons of mass destruction - biological, chemical and nuclear weapons - could be in the future of terrorism, Browder said.
However, future attacks are likely to be low-tech, he added.
"They got in an airplane and crashed a big building," he said. "That is not high-tech."
As long as there are people with the will and the resources to commit terrorist acts, there will be terrorism. The hope is to deter it and properly respond to it, Browder said.
But, "you cannot eliminate terrorism," he said.
