U of Ideas in Science -- June 1999
Contact: Melissa Mitchell, Arts Editor (217) 333-5491; [email protected]
COUNTERTERRORISM
How to deal with terrorist threats will be subject of annual conference
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Once upon a time, the average American citizen witnessed terrorist attacks as isolated blips and blurbs on the nightly news -- events that took place far off their radar screens in remote parts of the world and had little, if any, impact on their daily lives.
But that was before Littleton -- before frequent church and abortion-clinic bombings -- before Atlanta, New York City and Oklahoma City.
Understanding what makes the terrorist tick and being prepared to respond in the event of a terrorist attack are among the topics that will be considered June 22-23 at a conference hosted by the University of Illinois. "International Terrorism: Dealing With the Unseen" is the theme of the ninth annual summer conference organized by the U. of I.'s Office of Continuing Education and co-sponsored by several other university units.
"In the past, our conferences have focused on topics such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and economic crises in Latin America," said Terry Iversen, head of Continuing Education in International Affairs and head of Summer Session and Special Programs. "This year, we decided to shift from specific geographic regions to deal with a global issue that is replacing the Cold War as a concern occupying people's attention, regardless of their occupation or where they live."
"We now know that terrorism is not confined to other countries only, but is a threat to U.S. communities as well," said Earl Kellogg, the U. of I.'s associate provost for international affairs. "Because most terrorist activities are surprises, and there are usually only a few people involved, one may conclude there is little one can do to protect people and property from terrorist activities. However, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the probability of terrorist acts being committed. This conference will assist community leaders and officials to learn how to deal with the threat of terrorism and develop a balanced approach to these problems."
The keynote speaker is Bruce Hoffman, director of the RAND Corp.'s Washington, D.C., office and author of "Inside Terrorism." Hoffman will set the stage for the conference in a talk titled "The Changing Face of International Terrorism." Another speaker expected "to provide some very interesting insights into what's being done to counter cyber terrorism," Iversen said, is James Christy, special assistant for law enforcement, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon. The DOD established its first computer forensic lab under Christy's leadership; he also is widely known for uncovering the "Hanover Hacker" case documented in Clifford Stoll's book "The Cuckoo's Egg."
In addition to U. of I. faculty panelists, other participants will include Michael Dumbroski, senior specialist/hazardous materials team leader and regional point of contact for terrorism for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region V, Chicago, and Michael Chames, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency in Springfield.
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