Groups participate in war lecture, discussion
By Lara Hendrickson
Staff Reporter

Professors lectured about the history of the Middle East and the impact of war Monday night in the Woodson Room of the Student Center. There will be an open discussion on the politics and ethics of war at 7:30 p.m. today in the Student Center.

Manochehr Dorraj, a political science professor, lectured Monday to about 200 people in attendance and said war and its history are complex situations that cannot be summed up without a historical background of Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, among others.

Dorraj said we are about to make a bold statement in global affairs.

“I think we are on the verge of a significant shift in paradigm and global affairs,” he said. “The gap of perception is more profound than ever before.”

Dorraj said one common mistake is that Iran and Iraq are improperly linked and the only way they should be grouped together is through their sentiments towards the United States, the “First Axis of Evil” as they say. He said under the Reagan administration, the United States attacked Iran when the real enemy was Iraq because Saddam Hussein was then considered an ally of the West.

Jeff Roet, a history professor who spoke with Dorraj, said the reason the first Bush administration did not overthrow Hussein is because a Sunni dictator would be the only option, which Dorraj said could lead to Balkanization, or Iraq coming apart due to internal wars between Kurds, Turks, Shiites and Arabs.

Roet said Osama bin Laden would only rejoice from a war with Iraq. He said bin Laden is undoubtedly alive and that the longer the United States occupies Iraq, the greater the terrorists influence would be on the Arab street.

“This would be a recruitment bonanza for al Qaeda,” Roet said.

Roet said this has the possibility to become World War III: Christianity against Islam.

“Things don’t happen in a vacuum,” Roet said. “At best, this could last 18 months to five years. At worst, the war is a nuclear war.”

Staci Schnieders, a sophomore biology major, said the lecture made her realize how much affect history has on the war ahead.

“I think it was kind of scary because it made me realize that we can’t just go in there and beat them quickly,” Schnieders said.

Kate Low, an intern for University Ministries which helped sponsor the events, said they wanted students to be well informed on historical background.

“One of the needs (of the TCU campus) that we saw was education about the war in Iraq,” Low, a second year Brite Divinity student, said.

Low also said she expects many peace activists tonight, but also war activists to participate in open discussions and debates.

l.c.hendrickson@tcu.edu