Opinion column from the Greensboro News & Record by Prof. Rudy Zarzar The unthinkable has become reality. Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, symbols of American financial, economic, and military power, were the most serious incidents of "private" terrorism in world history. These attacks, which were likened by some to the attack on Pearl Harbor, are likely to have a profound psychological impact on the American people.

This attack has shaken the very foundations of our society. Our way of life, as we have known it, will no longer exist. We will now be forced to implement heightened security measures, in airports and other public places, which are already in place in most of the world. More disconcerting for most Americans will be the sense that we have lost our innocence, the feeling that acts of terrorism always happen somewhere else. With these attacks, terrorists have proven they are capable of horrific acts of death and destruction not only in the rest of the world, but on American soil as well. Whether it was bin Laden or some other group, these attacks were not totally unexpected. In fact, I would argue that they were inevitable given the fact that the United States government has managed, as Wall Street journalist Jonathan Kwitny persuasively argues in "Endless Enemies," to create many enemies around the world. The use or abuse of America's awesome and intimidating economic, political, and military power in many parts of the world, and its willingness to impose its will on others by force if necessary in the pursuit of what our leaders call the "national interest," has embittered many. It inevitably creates an environment fertile for the use of violence in many forms.

I say this NOT to rationalize terrorism. I am personally opposed to all forms of violence whether it is physical, structural, or psychological. I say it to underscore the importance of looking at the context in which terrorism takes place. Unless we do this, we are not likely to understand the factors that produce terrorism and terrorists. Nor are we likely to be able to deal with this international pathology if we do not try to understand its underlying causes.

There is temptation to blame the government for not anticipating such attacks and for not doing enough to combat terrorism. This charge is unwarranted. I firmly believe no other government has done more to combat domestic and international terrorism than the United States. We have succeeded, to a large extent, in reducing the incidents of terrorism to a trickle, thanks to the extensive security measures that have been undertaken here and abroad. However, 100 percent security is not a realistic goal. In fact, it is impossible. Israel is a nation that prides itself on having a comprehensive anti-terrorist network, and yet today Israel is experiencing more acts of terrorism than ever before. Its get-tough policy has proven to be a colossal failure.

A determined terrorist group will find a way to wreak havoc on the United States or any other country it chooses to target. And the United States is an especially vulnerable nation. It has an open society that makes penetration by terrorists a relatively easy task. It has long borders with Mexico and Canada. It has facilities and embassies all over the world that make easy targets. This does not mean the United States should not continue to find ways to prevent acts of terrorism. But we should not expect the illusive goal of total security.

Furthermore, the United States should not limit itself to combating the symptoms of terrorism, but should do whatever it can to resolve its root causes. A more humane foreign policy, respectful of and sensitive to the needs and rights of others, is more likely to be successful in the long run in combating international terrorism than a policy of "tit-for-tat."

Rudolf T. Zarzar is professor of political science at Elon University.