Terror Expert Sees More Plots Ahead As Ground Troops Stay
CHICAGO (WBBM) - A University of Chicago terrorism analyst says al-Qaida bombing attempts will likely continue as long as the United States keeps significant numbers of troops on the ground in the Middle East.
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Professor Robert Pape is the co-author of "Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It". A political scientist, Pape has chronicled al-Qaida attacks and says essentially the United States is creating more terrorists than it is killing.
Pape recommends the U.S. station naval and air forces in the Middle East, bolster allies with political and economic support and pull most ground forces from the area. He believes political influence can be maintained without the presence of ground forces.
Pape says the plans were carefully timed for the weekend before the election to make a statement about Al Qaida's continuing presence.
He believes they were addressed to Chicago synagogues because the city is identified with President Barack Obama and because synagogues are open weekends.
The good news, he says, is the system worked to prevent a bombing because the Saudis provided excellent, specific information.
He said the bad news is the system has to work every time, even when the information supplied is vague.
Pape says, flatly, without a U.S. ground force reduction in the Middle East, the U.S. can expect more serious terror plots.
