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Around 90 students, faculty, and Greenville residents listened intently as political science and history faculty analyzed the terrorist attack of September 11 and its aftermath. Following introductory remarks by Dr. Richard Kearney, Dr. Michael Palmer, chair of the history department, was introduced. Palmer, who once worked in the section of the Pentagon that was destroyed by the airplane that crashed into the building, explained why the extremists and religious zealots of the Islamic world consider us to be the "Great Satan." He pointed out that secularization, and American culture, and materialist values, seriously threaten spiritual Islam and helped provoke the attack.
Dr. Daniel Masters, who has interviewed members of terrorist organizations in Northern Ireland and Palestine as part of his research program, discussed the thinking of Osama bin-Laden and the Al-Qaida organization and their goal of a new pan-Islamic theocracy. Dr. John Williams assessed the U.S. policy and military response possibilities and how they might be perceived by domestic and international audiences. A lively question and answer session followed the prepared presentations. The event was covered by local television and newspaper reporters.
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