A controversy sparked by a transnational terrorism course by New York University is garnering divided, polar opinions across media.
According to an exclusive story by New York Post, the said course requires the student to 'hypothetically plan a terrorist attack' elaborately described in 10-15 pages. The course is taught by former Navy criminal investigator Marie-Helen Maras, who asked the students to "step into [a terrorist's] shoes" and outline their strategy.
In the course syllabus obtained by New York Post Maras says, "In your paper, you must describe your hypothetical attack and what will happen in the aftermath of the attack."
Also, they must include methods of execution, sources of funding, number of operatives needed and the target government's reaction in their plot. At the same time, students must realistically stay within their chosen terror group's "goals, capabilities, tactical profile, targeting pattern and operational area," the syllabus states.
But, due to the elaborate details, the likelihood of the papers landing in wrong hands is not negligible and the syllabus strictly warns that each page of a student's paper must bear the disclaimer: "This is a hypothetical scenario for a university course on transnational terrorism."
Maras has a Ph.D from Oxford and is also an associate professor in SUNY-Farmingdale.
Despite her impressive credentials and taken precautions, cops and other law enforcement officials are not happy.
"Some of the most notorious terrorists, including Anwar al-Awlaki, got their start on American campuses. It looks like after the CIA killed al-Awlaki, NYU is helping to produce successors," said an outraged law-enforcement expert on terrorism to the Post.
But, many other publications including Wired has ridiculed Post's report saying many Hollywood TV shows and movies like, "Live Free or Die", "24", "Homeland" explore terrorist scenario on a regular basis, but no one has urged them to be banned.
Many responders on the comment section of Huffington Post and Wired unanimously supported Maras and the assignment, saying one needs to imagine the terrorist scenario to develop a counter strategy.
In a statement issued to UPI, NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies has responded saying the course has been misrepresented by the Post:
"The Transnational Terrorism course is taught by a decorated U.S. Navy veteran who uses her military experience to teach students -- including law enforcement officers -- how to anticipate and counter terrorism. The assignment she gave her students is an exercise that has been utilized by many U.S. universities and government agencies. We think it is deeply regrettable that this veteran's work as an NYU professor has been mis-characterized in this way."
