September - October 2001

Reader Poll  

Combating Terrorism: What Can the IEEE Do?

September 11, 2001 is a date that, as President Bush said, "None of us will ever forget." Millions watched helplessly as satellite feeds transmitted images of the two hijacked commercial jets that slammed into the World Trade Center towers in New York. Minutes later, when it seemed as though things couldn't get any worse, we learned that a third hijacked jet had been forced down in Arlington, Virginia, cutting a fiery path of death and destruction through the nation's "most secure office building" — the Pentagon. We received more news still, this of a fourth hijacked jet downed outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, its sad fate possibly altered by the heroism of a few brave passengers.

As Americans reeled from the attack, which is being called by many "this generation's Pearl Harbor," the first question that came to mind was: How could this have happened? With all of our high-tech security, surveillance and intelligence systems, how?

In the aftermath, as America begins the slow process of healing and the facts begin to surface, we cannot expect a solution to the epidemic of terrorism to fall into our laps. We must take a proactive role in ensuring that such a horrific attack never happens again anywhere. IEEE-USA's technology policy committees already address a number of safety and security issues, including computer crime, encryption policy, Internet security, upgrading the U.S. air traffic control system, and developing space technologies for disaster mitigation and global health. Most recently, the IEEE-USA Medical Technology Policy Committee established a working group on bio-terrorism to develop a technical policy position on manmade biomedical hazards and diseases and other bio-terrorism concerns.

With the technical expertise of its more than 360,000 members, what role can the IEEE play in combating global terrorism? Should the IEEE play a role? What can individual members — as well as the membership as a whole — do to help shore up the anti-terrorism mechanisms already in place around the world? What new ideas can IEEE members bring to the table?