The terror attacks in Paris were the focus of this month’s Middle East Forum at UNO.
130 people were killed in last week’s terrorist attacks. The Islamic State took credit for the attacks.
Dr. Jody Neathery-Castro, chairman of UNO’s Political Science Department, says the attacks have raised ongoing concerns about homegrown terrorism, and why ISIS has been successful in recruiting young people to its cause. She says that’s complicated, because the attackers don’t fit a typical profile.
"It's the young person, then, who is sort of disaffected, and probably looking for a purpose. Had been involved with drugs and petty crime, and you sometimes see this kind of profile. Not always, sometimes it’s just looking for a place, looking for a place to fit in."
Dr. Moshe Gershovich, Director of UNO’s Israel and Jewish Studies Program, says ISIS has been successful because fighting them hasn’t been a first priority for some countries.
He says defeating ISIS will require a coordinated effort that addresses long-term solutions.