As soon as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred last week, the news media was in hot pursuit of experts to comment on the events. UB faculty members discussed a wide range of topics, from America's shattered sense of security to coping with grief.

UB's response to the situation as a university was noted in USA Today and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Among those faculty members working early with the local, national and international media were Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science, whose interviews included Time magazine and Voice of America, and Beth Cohen, clinical assistant professor and director of the Psychological Services Center.

Samples of comments made by UB faculty members to the media included the following items:

Attacks "well-executed"

While many have called the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon "cowardly" acts, Lawrence Cline, an instructor in the Department of Political Science, describes them as "by far the most brilliant, sophisticated and well-executed operations" he has ever seen.

A military intelligence officer and chief of the Middle East branch of the Pentagon until six years ago, Cline says the attacks were "well-planned, with excellent security" and "almost unique in the amount of coordination required."

Cline notes that while Osama Bin Laden and his group, Al-Qaida, certainly are responsible for the attacks, they likely were the result of a much wider operation. In fact, bin Laden probably—and deliberately—doesn't know himself how many cells of his organization are operating in the U.S. or elsewhere, he says.

"The way it works," he says, "is that the word comes to them from the main camp—say, 'let's see what we can do in Africa' or 'let's do the U.S. embassies'—then the cells plan separate operations. As long as they hit important, high-visibility targets, they've succeeded. For those fighting terrorist groups, it's an absolute nightmare."

Shattered sense of security

As a result of the terrorist attacks, Americans have been hit with a "double shock," according to Paul Senese, assistant professor of political science and an expert in international security and conflict process and American foreign policy.

"The attacks are shocking not only because of the enormous loss of life they've produced, but because of how it was done and where it was done," Senese notes.

"Americans historically have felt insulated from disasters like this, however: First, because we've never experienced such an attack, and second, because we've always thought, despite warnings to the contrary, that our security apparatus wouldn't let anything like this happen," he says.

"So we've experienced a double shock. Not only has a monumental disaster been perpetrated by a foreign political group on American soil, but it occurred completely without warning, proving that our sense of security has been based on false assumptions."

Religious "certainty" key

Philips Stevens, professor of anthropology and an expert on the anthropology of religions, says the power of religious belief largely has been ignored in discussions so far about the motivation for suicide bombers.

"Many commentators have talked about the many and various reasons for intense hatred against the U.S., Stevens notes. "But this element—the incredible power of religious belief: not 'belief,' a weak term, rather 'certainty'—is what so many analysts are missing."

According to one Afghan informant featured on "60 Minutes" Monday night, "there are countless Muslims ready right now to give their lives for Allah's great cause," Stevens says. "They would be honored to be chosen, and when their bereaved families learned, they too would be honored and would be granted eternal glory for their loving support of their brave comrades."

Bush hits right note as leader

George W. Bush took a solid first step in improving his image as this country's leader when he stepped to the microphone last week to comment on the terrorist attacks, according to James R. Meindl, Carmichael Professor of Organization and Human Resources in the School of Management.

Bush's carefully crafted comments to the American people have given the president's leadership persona a boost.

"A person's ability to appear decisive and in control in a crisis situation is a major component of what makes him or her appear to be charismatic, or a good leader," says Meindl, an expert in leadership, charisma and management styles.

He says that while Bush has done an excellent job so far, he cautions that the coming days will present numerous opportunities for Bush to stumble as a leader.

"Right now, people's first instinct is to get behind their leader, but soon they will want to see results of Bush's leadership; they'll want to see evidence of decisive action."

"Marshall Plan" urged

The terrorists who used hijacked commercial airliners to attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon "were using death and destruction to deliver a message," according to James M. Lawler, associate professor of philosophy.

"They deliberately chose to attack the most visible symbols of American wealth and military power," says Lawler, whose expertise is in social and political philosophy, "hoping that the impoverished majority of mankind would applaud and rally behind them."

In response to the attack, he says, "we need to declare a 'Marshall Plan' for the poor and disinherited people of the world, and for the Earth itself.

"At the end of World War II, the United States did a great and generous thing, responding to the hard words of the Gospels: 'Love your enemies.' We instituted a Marshall Plan that included the devastated nations of our wartime enemies. Today, Germany and Japan are powerful, democratic and peaceful countries, and our friends and allies. Now we need to declare a Marshall Plan for the poor and disinherited people of the world, and for the Earth itself."

Coping with grief

Following the terrorist attacks, Americans "will be looking at everything in their lives through a screen of apprehension," says Thomas T. Frantz, associate professor of counseling, school and educational psychology. "That apprehension may fade in a couple days, or it may last a week" or longer.

"We all have a whole variety of problems we're dealing with already, so this grief and sadness will make those problems feel worse," says Frantz. "If you're not getting along with your wife, it will feel worse. If you are worried about a sick child, you will feel more concerned."

Frantz, who has spent 25 years working in the areas of grief and bereavement, says that for families and friends of victims, the grief of losing a loved one will be similar to the grief surrounding any sudden death.

A new fear of flying

While the use of hijacked commercial airliners by terrorists to attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon may leave many reluctant to board an airplane, the issue is not about flying, says Gayle Beck, professor of psychology.

"This had nothing to do with flying; it had to do with terrorism. This was an incredibly well-coordinated act that circumvented normal security. The thing to be afraid of isn't airplanes," says Beck, an expert in panic and anxiety disorders and post-traumatic problems.

"Most everyone directly involved in this tragedy perished, but a substantial number of people witnessed this, and we know that these circumstances are ripe fields for post-traumatic problems. There is a profound feeling of unrest. This isn't just situated around flying. There is a generalized feeling that we're unsafe. It redefines our world and we're not used to that definition."

Business may move to country

Businesses that in recent years flocked to upscale addresses in high-rise buildings in large cities now may be looking for a place in the country following the terrorist attack that destroyed the World Trade Center, according to Lawrence Southwick Jr., associate professor of finance and managerial economics.

"Information technology now makes it convenient for companies to be located anywhere and still stay connected with their industry and service their clientele," Southwick says.

He believes that the terrorist attack will have only marginal effects on consumer confidence and the stock market. "The bigger threat to the health of the economy is the ripple effect that will result from the attack's impact on the airline and insurance industries," he says.