Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Freidman '75 addressed a full house in Spingold Theater last night to support the upcoming International Investigative Journalism Program, choosing to speak on the Arab world and the war in Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.Friedman was introduced by University President Jehuda Reinharz, who thanked Friedman for spending the day with students. He then gave a summary of the Mediterranean Studies major's career as an international reporter and columnist for The New York Times.

Friedman began by saying people need to understand the larger context for the issues leading up to Sept. 11, 2001 before attempting to understand why the events occurred.

But even still, he later said, "I don't know how the story is going to come out."

Friedman compared the war in Iraq to the threats posed by Soviet communism, saying how bin Laden and his "rag-tag band of merry men" posed an even greater threat toward an open society because there lacks a bedrock of civilized behavior. Explaining an open society, he said the audience trusted he did not carry a bomb when he walked in the theater.

According to Friedman, what is pernicious about suicide bombings is that they center on destroying an open society open. He said this is the framework in which he analyzes sub-problems, including where and how Muslim terrorists originate.

The Sept. 11 terrorists came from two types of people-the Saudis, or "sitting-around guys," and the "Europeans," according to Friedman.

Friedman said the "sitting-around guys" provided the muscle to restrain the passengers on the planes. He said these men came from an Arab world where one-third of the region's population is under age 15 and the highest global birth rate is matched by the highest global unemployment rate.

"This is an extremely toxic combination," he said. "It produces sitting-around people. These sitting-around people are the raw material for bin Laden."

According to Friedman, a human development crisis exists when more than half of adult women in the Arab world are illiterate and when Hewlett-Packard, in one month, produced more international patents than the entire Arab world did between 1980 and 2000.

Friedman said the "Europeans" flew the planes into the structures and became radicalized only once they left the Arab world for Europe. He said there is a pattern of nations being unwilling to place more effort toward integrating these Muslims. As a result, he said some drift to more radical mosques, prayer groups and then to bin Laden.

"Every single one of them was radicalized in Europe," he said. "It's not just true of one of them."

Friedman said another problem is that both groups think that Islam is a more advanced expression of God's monotheistic message than Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism. He said these young men people are confronted daily with viewing what they consider people of lesser religions living so much more prosperously, powerfully and democratically.

According to Friedman, context is central to understanding the world since Sept. 11. He said he disagrees with people who come to him to say Islam is an angry religion.

He reminded the audience that the second largest Muslim nation is India, where there are no known Indian Muslims connected to al Qaeda.

Friedman said India allows venues for advancement. He said the country has women on its supreme court and the wealthiest man there is a Muslim software entrepreneur.

"Give [people] a context where if they have legal disputes...they can get it adjudicated in a court of law and not have to bribe the judge with a goat," he said. "And guess what? Guess what? They don't want to blow up the world. They want to be a part of it."

Friedman then said the largest mistake the Bush administration made was not sending enough troops. He said it is impossible to liberate something you never controlled.

"Is this salvageable?" Friedman said. "I just don't know. I really don't know. We are seeing a level of brutality today that is shocking.