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03-01-06
By Mark Floyd, 541-737-0788
Source: Dick Johnston, 541-737-1427
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Robert A. Pape, a military strategy specialist and professor of political science at the University of Chicago, will give a public lecture in Corvallis on Thursday, March 9, that examines increasing global occurrences of "suicide terrorism."
His talk, "Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism," begins at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, located at 12th Street and Monroe in Corvallis. The lecture is free, though canned food items will be accepted at the door and donated to local food banks.
The event is sponsored by OSU's Department of Political Science and the Liberal Studies Program, with support from several off-campus organizations, including the Willamette Valley Forum.
In his talk, Pape will discuss why changing strategic, social and individual factors are responsible for the growing threat of "suicide terrorism." Pape has created the first comprehensive database of every suicide terrorist attack in the world from 1980 to today, and uses the information to chart trends and analyze similarities among the events - and clear up misconceptions as well.
These acts of violence, which also claim the lives of the terrorists, are not restricted to any regions or groups, Pape notes, but almost always are part of a coherent campaign organized by large, militant organizations. And most terrorists are not poor, uneducated lifelong criminals, he adds, but often well-educated, middle-class political activists.
His conclusions are based on 460 attacks worldwide.
Pape, who directs the Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism, has spent much of his career studying military strategy. His 1996 book, "Bombing to Win: Air Power and Coercion in War," gained widespread attention for its criticism of the idea that wars can be won through air power alone.
He has presented his analyses of military strategy and suicide terrorism to political leaders and government officials in Washington, D.C., and has appeared on numerous television news and political talk shows. His work is frequently cited in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere.
About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes the fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college's research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.