Nearly 200 died in the bombing of Paddy's Irish Bar and the Sari Club in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, on 12 October -- the worst toll from terror anywhere since 11 September 2001. In the Philippines, terrorists have struck five times in the last month alone. Also in September, suspected terrorist Omar al-Faruq apparently told his CIA interrogators that US $74,000 had been transferred from the Middle East to Southeast Asia to fund a planned attack on U.S. Navy ships docked in Indonesia. Cutting off terrorist financing has been and remains a priority in the American war on terror. What exactly is the nature of the problem of terrorist financing in Southeast Asia? How should the United States, other governments, and international agencies respond to this challenge? What strategies and tactics are most and least likely to succeed? What are the obstacles to that success, and how can these too be addressed? What has been and will be the role of the U.S. Pacific Command in seeking and implementing the answers to these questions? Leif Rosenberger has been the economic adviser to the commander of American forces in the Pacific since 1998. As chair of the Pacific Command's Economics and Security Working Group, he works at the intersection of economic and security issues related to the war on terrorism in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to coming to Camp Smith, where the Command is headquartered, Dr. Rosenberger was a professor of economics at the U.S. Army War College, where he held the General Douglas MacArthur Academic Chair of Research.

This presentation analyzes the factors influencing South Asian entrepreneurial expansion in the UK and the validity of conventional wisdom, which attributes South Asian business success to cultural factors. It suggests that entrepreneurial growth depends on human capital factors like education and prior experience, the investment of personal savings at start-up and breaking away from a management strategy bound by immigrant culture. At the same time, strengthening links with one's country of origin has a positive impact on growth. The findings have implications for aspiring entrepreneurs and for policy makers and agencies that aim to encourage the growth of South Asian and more generally, immigrant ethnic minority entrepreneurship. Dr. Basu has a background in economics, international finance and management. She holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Cambridge. Dr. Basu's research interests include migration and ethnic entrepreneurship, small firm growth, decision-making and economic adjustment of enterprises. Her current research interests focus on immigrant entrepreneurship and the role of the family in immigrant business development. She has published papers in several leading international refereed journals.

The act of suicide can take many forms and is an old "way out". However, the act always engenders some sort of statement in the community left behind. The recent political and war-like statements of suicide bombers trigger both general concerns and scholarly questions. Suicide is an individual act, but at the same time it can give shape to a movement. How can we understand the current acts of suicide bombing? In what way does it raise new ways of thinking about the underlying assumptions and mechanisms behind social behavior?

Papers Presented:

1. "Inside the Terrorist Mind" by Arie Kruglanski, University of Maryland. Paper presented to the National Academy of Science, April 29, 2002, Washington D.C.

2. "Education, Poverty, Political Violence and Terrorism: Is there a Causal Connection?" by Alan B. Krueger and Jitka Maleckova, Working Paper 9074, National Bureau of Economic Research.

3. "The Interpersonal Influence Systems and Organized Suicides of Death Cults" by Noah E. Friedkin, Department of Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara.

4. "The Paradox of Suicide in Solidary Groups" by Douglas D. Heckathorn, Cornell University.

5. "Hamas, Taliban and the Jewish Underground: An Economist's View of Radical Religious Militias" by Eli Berman, Rice University, National Bureau of Economic Research.

6. "Suicide Missions: Motivations and Beliefs" by Jon Elster, Columbia University.

7. "Suicide Bombing: What is the Answer?" by Howard Rosenthal, Princeton University and Russell Sage Foundation.

In "Gender Militarized" Frhstck deals with how masculinity is created, constituted, and negotiated in present-day Japan. She describes how Japanese "militarized masculinity" constantly evolves, is culturally specific, contested, debated and resisted. In this talk, she argues that "militarized masculinity" draws from various kinds of manhood, depends on the subordination of alternative modes of manhood, cuts itself off from other modes of gender and is informed by past and present Japanese and non-Japanese militarisms as well as American militarism on its soil. At the core of Frhstck's analysis are the processes of institutional coercion and the expectations and struggles of enlisted personnel and officers in Japan's armed forces to create a "militarized gender" that is distinct from other types of manhood.

About the speaker:

Sabine Frhstck is an associate professor of modern Japanese cultural studies in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her publications include Colonizing Sex: Sexology and Social Control in Modern Japan (University of California Press, 2003); "Managing the Truth of Sex in Imperial Japan" in the Journal of Asian Studies (2000); and (with Eyal Ben-Ari) "Now We Show It All! Normalization and the Management of Violence in Japan's Armed Forces" in the Journal of Japanese Studies (2002), among other articles and book chapters. She is currently working on a book about military-societal relations in modern and contemporary Japan entitled "Avant-garde: The Army of the Future."

Japanese pop culture has gained a global following in recent years, with recognition that now extends far beyond the stereotypes of oriental exotica. With the reach of pop culture comes tremendous economic potential. Nakamura, whose varied experiences in rock, art, and multimedia have been applied to policymaking and education, gives a preview of a new research project he is coordinating on the impact of pop culture on politics, society, and the economy. Japan's economic troubles have taken center stage during the last decade. But has Japan's "lost decade" really been a "glorious decade"?

The era of Three Kims is passing away. Three Kims dominated Korean politics for the past three decades. Two Kims (Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung) led democratization movement in the 70s and 80s, and another Kim (Kim Jong Pil) represented a moderate alternative to Park Chung Hee's dictatorship within an authoritarian ruling circle. Together, they presided over democratic transition in the 1980s and were leading players in restored democratic competition since 1987.

Now the era of Three Kims is expected to terminate with the presidential election of December 2002. The exit of Three Kims signifies the end of the first generation of democracy. The presidential election will decide who will lead the country in Post-Three Kims era. The outcome of presidential election would surely be the turning point for Korean democracy. Will Korean democracy move forward to democratic deepening or begin to erode?

Professor Im will review conceptual issues in discussing democratic consolidation and then analyze the achievements, failures, and unfinished jobs that the leaders of the first generation of Korean democracy have to their credit. He will also discuss the future of Korean democracy in the post-Three Kims era.

The end of the Cold War and the emergence of terrorism conducted by non-state actors have radically changed the manner in which science and technology can support national security. We no longer have a primary geographically focused enemy and may be confronted by improvised weapons that, as we have learned, are very effective. Additionally, dealing with terrorism within the boundaries of the country raises organizational and political questions that do not occur in military operations abroad. This talk explores these difficulties and suggests some technical and operational priorities for dealing with the new set of threats that have emerged.