A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

The Washington Times: Science' of terrorism

START Center Profiled by The Washington Times

The START Center was recently profiled by The Washington Times. In "'Science' of terrorism"' (June 23, 2005), Times reporter Ann Geracimos reviewed the research goals and structure of the center. Geracimos interviewed the START Center's director, professor Gary LaFree, along with the "team leaders" of the Center's three main working groups: professor Arie Kruglanski, Terrorist Group Formation and Recruitment; professor Clark McCauley, Terrorist Group Persistence and Dynamics; and professor Kathleen Tierney, Societal Dimensions of Terrorism. Geramicos highlighted the Center's terrorism database, which comprises over 70,000 terrorist incidents that have occurred over the last 25 years. Professor LaFree noted that the database currently is patterned on "'the military definition [for terrorism] -- essentially violence against noncombatants carried out by non-state actors.'" However, the Center aims to build on that conception by incorporating insights from sociology, psychology, geography, theology, anthropology, and psychiatry. The full article is available at http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20050622-095533-3186r.htm.