Guest Speaker - Dr. Martin Cronin, British Consul General

Martin was brought up in London England and graduated from Leeds university before joining the British Diplomatic Service in 1988. Martin has spent most of his career in the Middle East and Islamic world. He has served in Yemen, Jordan, Pakistan and Iraq and he described his thoughts and opinions regarding the conflicts in the area, gleaned from his experiences in those countries. He urged everyone to challenge statements regarding anti-Americanism and warned against sympathizing with terrorist groups. To further this he stated that people need resist the notion that terrorism is a reaction to policy, and that terrorists use violence in search for a cause. Unfortunately, radicalism is cause for itself. Furthermore, Iraq and Afghanistan are not quick fixes but needed long term solutions. Help must come from the international community as well as Islamic moderates. Social structures, illiteracy, poverty and free speech all must be addressed in conflict areas. He stated that the reality is there will be more attacks and we can not afford to avoid confrontation. Notes this week by Steven Mew.