Open-mindedness urged in Blair debate

I’d like to comment on the UB Reporter article by Charlotte Hsu, "Blair defends decision to back war in Iraq," published on Oct. 8.

With a harsh attitude like that of Professor Jim Holstun (see Post a Comment), we will certainly not make any progress. Whether or not one chooses to believe Mr. Blair’s defense concerning justification for Iraq, he is correct that peace and progress is a function of our “willingness to listen to, and respect, alternative opinions.”

To reason through a controversial subject, one must set aside mere emotion and perception, and enter the debate with an open mind—a difficult discipline for cynics. Unlike the professor, I applaud the university for its open-minded attitude in the selection of distinguished speakers. After all, that is representative of a quality that every university should foster—to be free to listen to and express diverse views with the intent of taking our learning to a greater level.

Dean Goodison
BS ’94
Civil Engineering

Terrorists used Iraq as staging ground

I have to disagree with Dr. Holstun’s comments (see Post a Comment at the end of this story). However, what really upsets me is that he thinks that not only am I stupid, but since I have three boys in the military that does not give them the right to massacre innocent civilians in any country you please.

He claims that the people who attacked the U.S. on Sept 11 were from Saudi Arabia and not Iraq. This is my explanation: Terrorists are part of an international organization that uses countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines and just about all of Africa to intimidate, kill and torture the innocent civilians of these countries until they get what they want.

Does he want to ignore that the 9/11 hijackers used Iraq as a staging area? Are you going to deny that Saddam Hussein was a major contributor to the terrorist movement and offered not only training areas but also weapons and financial support? Do you deny that the Baath movement in Iraq was a major terrorist organization that took over the government, allowed Saddam to murder and butcher hundreds of thousands of his own people? Do you deny that the major problem in Iraq is a religious rift among the Muslims over one side that absolutely supports terrorism and the elimination of non-believers and the sect that supports just wanting to live in peace? Do you deny that the majority of the Iraqi population voted for a democratic government and that they requested U.S. support to help get rid of the terrorists that are trying to take over so that they can continue their jihad? Do you deny that the U.S. has rebuilt the entire infrastructure of Iraq? There are more people in Iraq today with access to electricity, water, hospitals, roads and education than ever before. In addition, what about Libya, the country that was bombed by the U.S. after Flight 903 and then said it would not help terrorism anymore until it got the release of the person who planned it? Now he is a hero in that country and they are going back to their terrorist ways.

Yes, we stopped hurting them and they quit for a while until they got another opportunity to get back into the fight. Do we wait until they fly a jet into the Sears Tower until we stop them? Where did most of the terrorists who were responsible for the carnage in Lebanon come from? Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The terrorist agenda is world domination. Period.

The radical jihad is just another version of socialist government

takeover. Who is responsible for the hundreds of civilians killed every week in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and numerous other Third World countries by car bombs, IEDs and suicide bombers? Why, it's always some illiterate youngster from these countries that they get to do their dirty work through intimidation, lies or promises to take care of their families financially after they kill themselves (of course the families never see that money). Who was responsible for the killing of three contractors in Bagdad and hanging them from a bridge after dragging their bodies through the streets for the mere crime of trying to improve the living conditions of those who the terrorists were trying to take advantage of? Who was responsible for the murdering of aid workers in Somalia who were trying to distribute food to starving people? Do you know who were taking that food to use as a terrorist weapon?

Do you know how many U.S. service members died trying to protect the aid workers and those civilians? Do you remember the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Yugoslavia, and who was responsible for that? You ask me, sir, how many innocent civilians the American military has “murdered?” Give me the numbers of the other people who have killed. Give me the numbers of people our service men and women have saved by doing their jobs.

How many liberal friends volunteered to do something to stop this?

Margie Weber
Department of Chemistry