Political scientists in San Diego say the current Mid-East conflict is not so different from others in history. Professors gathered at San Diego State University today to share their insight with the public. KPBS Radio's Andrew Phelps was there.
SDSU Professor Dipak Gupta says terrorists around the world stick to common tactics. He says insurgents lay traps that force governments to overreact. People are then appalled and turn against the state. SDSU Professor Farid Abdul-Nour applied that idea by questioning the Hezbollah incursion into Israel.
Abdul-Nour: "Hezbollah might have been seeking to influence the internal Lebanese debate in their favor. They clearly anticipated some Israeli response. That then would have demonstrated that Israel continues to be a very serious threat to the security of Lebanon, and therefore they need to remain armed in order to defend the country."
University officials hope to raise the level of Mid-East discourse. The question-and-answer session that followed turned fiery, illustrating the deep division between both sides.
For KPBS, I'm Andrew Phelps
