Fed: More terrorists likely to emerge, says US sociologist

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2001
Fed: More terrorists likely to emerge, says US sociologist

By Ruth Peters

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Attempts to crush the al-Qaeda network would not eradicate terrorism
as long as dissidents and "refugee foot soldiers" remained, a US academic said today.

Professor of Sociology at the University of Los Angeles, Michael Mann, said America's
war in Afghanistan may destroy Osama Bin Laden's network, but that would not be the end
of terrorism.

"US high-tech weaponry can obviously extricate an identifiable group of terrorists
in a geographical location," Professor Mann told a seminar in Sydney.

"It can also severely damage, perhaps destroy, any sheltering regime, but it can't
do anything about the refugee camps or the dissident intelligentsia of Islam."

"So more terrorists will emerge unless something is done to attack the cause of terrorism."

Prof Mann was speaking at a three-day seminar at Sydney University on Globalisation
in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Prof Mann said globalisation had paved the way for the emergence of "weapons of the
week" and gave rise to the global arms market which helped the terrorists.

"Through this important industry, globalisation fragments and kills as well as it unites
and harmonises," he said.

Prof Mann said military power alone would not eliminate the threat of combat fundamentalism
in religions around the world, including Islam.

"Indeed, this will probably only fuel the fires," he said.

"Educated dissidents and refugee foot-soldiers are the core constituencies which will
provide generations of young men (and perhaps young women) willing to risk and even sacrifice
their lives."

AAP rhp/jjs/ldj/br

KEYWORD: TERROR GLOBALISATION

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.