Harvard Professors Debate Future Attack Of Iraq

Former U.N. Ambassador Ken Adelman and professor John Deutch debated whether Iraq should be the next target in the war against terrorism last night at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

In the crowded standing-room only forum, an audience of mostly professors and graduate students gathered to listen to Adelman and Deutch battle it out over Iraq’s future in the War on Terrorism.

Both speakers agreed it is of immediate importance to end Saddam Hussein’s rule of Iraq because of the threat his administration poses to the United States and the rest of the international community.

However, Adelman and Deutch strongly disagreed on the means by which Hussein should be removed and the ramifications that would follow.

Moderating the debate was Harvard professor and political analyst Graham Allison, director of the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Opening the debate, he brought to the audience’s attention the particular significance of the debate topic in relationship to President Bush’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night. In the speech, Bush said Iraq is part of an “axis of evil” and continues to support terrorists.

The debaters then began to thrust forward their opinions of what actions, if any, should be taken toward Iraq. Each participant was given an initial 10 minutes to make his case before the debating began.

“We absolutely have to take out the government of Saddam Hussein as soon as possible,” Adelman said.

Adelman, who worked with the Department of Defense during the Reagan administration, said Hussein poses a significant threat to world security because he has access to weapons of mass destruction and is not afraid to either use them himself or supply them to terrorist groups. The ambassador argued Hussein’s removal “would not be a hard thing to do,” and if he is not removed soon, harsh consequences will likely ensue.

Deutch, former director of the CIA, agreed with Adelman’s call for the removal of Saddam Hussein. However, Deutch argued against the ambassador’s assertion that Hussein should be removed immediately, instead saying the United States must analyze all possible consequences before taking action.

“It must be done right,” Deutch said.

Contrary to what Adelman proposed, Deutch demanded that involvement in Iraq is complex and far from easy. He said there are certain requirements that must precede Hussein’s removal, ensuring that a post-Saddam Iraq will survive.

After each participant had finished speaking, the debate opened up to questions from the audience. Many posed questions concerning international law and the number of countries that will be attacked by the War on Terrorism. Harvard student Achilles Zaluar attended the forum “in interest of the current situation in Iraq,” and to learn whether or not Iran would likely be attacked.