Beyond the tea leaves - Futures research and terrorism

No one can predict the future. The study of futures research, however; offe rs insights that may assist in foreseeing certain trends that will affect f uture events. This article employs a modified version of one futures resear ch methodology, cross-impact analysis, to study the interactions of four tr ends that will likely influence the future of international terrorism: the expanded use of the Internet on the international level, the effects of eme rging ethnic and religious sensibilities, the growing economic gap between the rich and the poor and the continued role of the United Stares as the wo rld's predominant superpower.