Dipak Gupta Explains The Cycle of Terrorism

Tom Fudge: Terrorism. It's a word that's has some real meaning. But since the attacks of 911, it's been reduced to the status of cliche. It's a word, so fraught with connotation and so embedded in our political rhetoric, that it's become difficult to use in any intelligent conversation.

Dipak Gupta is one of the people who take the word seriously. A scholar and professor at San Diego State, he's written a lot about political violence and what causes it. He has a new book now called Understanding Terrorism and Political Violence: The Life Cycle of Birth, Growth, Transformation, and Demise .

Guest

• Dipak Gupta , Fred J. Hanson professor of Peace Studies and program chair of International Security and Conflict Resolution at San Diego State , where he is a distinguished professor in political science.