When two airliners fly full speed into both towers of the World Trade Center and another hits the Pentagon, Americans are left pondering the simple question: why?

Eastern’s equivalent to high-profile political and economic analysts – professors of political science, economics, and history – will participate in a panel presentation titled “Causes and Consequences of Recent Terrorist Actions,” to try and answer that question.

Topics ranging from Osama bin Laden and foreign relations to the economic causes of terrorism will be at the forefront of the discussion at 7 p.m. today in Lumpkin Hall room 2030.

With economics professor Alan Grant acting as moderator, panelists will be allotted five to seven minutes to discuss the topic in their fields of expertise, with a second session of the presentation being open to questions and discussion from the audience.

Panelist Eric Hake, economics professor, said the panel presentation is a way to provide food for thought and to deal with terrorism issues.

“In the light of recent events, we thought it would be nice to have different points of view,” Hake said.

Scott Levi, a history professor who traveled through Pakistan in 1996 and 1997, will offer his insight to the living conditions and state of Afghanistan during his visit as a guest of the then-northern alliance leader in the civil war, General Dostum. Dostum later fled and was replaced by Ashmed Shah Masoud, who was assassinated just days ago.

“The country, even at that time, was embroiled in civil war,” Levi said.

Levi also said the hotel he stayed in had running water for only one hour a day and the living conditions were terrible. He likened a U.S. counterattack on Afghanistan’s scattered guerilla regime to “a baseball bat being swung at an angry swarm of bees.”

Levi will offer insight to the discussion through his knowledge of history and experiences in the Middle East.

Other panelists include Ryan Hendrickson, political science professor, whose expertise on terrorist Osama bin Laden made him a source for a recent local newscast. Hendrickson also has published articles on bin Laden, Hake said.

Lt. Col. Laurence Sefren, commander of Eastern’s branch of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, will offer his expertise in the field of military science, Hake said. Edmund Wherle, history professor, will bring his extensive knowledge of U.S. history with a concentration in foreign affairs.

And David Carwell, political science professor, teaches a class on terrorism at Eastern, Hake said.

Audience members are encouraged to participate in the discussion following the panelists’ short talks.

“We will open it up to questions after 40 minutes,” Hake said. “We don’t want people to think we are going to talk for an hour and a half.”