Dr. Rob Alexander has been busy lately providing interviews to the local media. The recent and unexpected killing of Osama Ben Laden has had media sources scrambling to explore the meaning of the event, and many turned to Dr. Alexander, who the Lima media outlets commonly turn to for hi political expertise.
Alexander provided interviews for WLIO television and The Lima News. On the small screen, he provided an immediate interview in which he hailed the death of Bin Laden as a step forward in the War on Terrorism, but also cautioned that a dead Bin Laden could become a martyr for jihadists to avenge, but that his death was not only a relief for Americans, but also for people in the Middle East region.
He followed that up with an interview on the Morning Show hosted by WLIO, where he told the interviewer that perhaps Bin Laden's death might encourage American and world leaders to discuss what this means for the War on Terror: "Is the war over?" "Is it time to bring the boys home?" He argued that the death of the "Face of Al Queada" did not mean and end to the war, there will always be replacements waiting to take over. To expect this to end terrorism, would be, in his words, "Pollyannish," or marked by extreme optimism. He also mentioned while this is a temporary gain for the Obama Administration administration, with plaudits coming in from both sides of the aisle, this will be fleeting as new issues knock the president off of the wave of popularity he is now riding. To see the complete interviews, click here.
Alexander also was featured in an article in the Lima News on local Professor's reaction to news of the terrorist leader's death.
Oddly enough, WLIO, when seeking man-on-the-street reaction to the news, Jon Carver, who is an adjunct professor of history in the HPJ department was also featured in the original interview. ONU HPJ is everywhere!
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