Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Texas A&M speaker says U.S. citizens must support Iraq war
By Cherie Lim
The Battalion (Texas A&M)
03/06/2006

(U-WIRE) COLLEGE STATION, Texas — If the United States is committed to war, it must realize that all U.S. citizens are involved in the war together, said United States Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, commander of the U.S. forces in Iraq.

"It's the interagency of the nation — it's the entire nation who needs to fight this war," Sanchez said. "It is our duty to support them (the soldiers at war) and sustain that support over time, even if you don't agree with the political decision."

Sanchez spoke Friday about the United States' globalization and the War in Iraq as a part of the Texas A&M University Student Conference On National Affairs (SCONA). The U.S. military must be prepared to step in when necessary, he said.

"We have to be willing to go to war if we need to," Sanchez said. "The military must be prepared to lead. In emergence of conflict, it is not the military's job, but there is no one else to do it. We don't like it, but we have to be prepared to do it."

Although the United States entered Iraq to help the citizens, reactions have not always been positive from them, he said.

"As we globalize, some people out there don't really want to be like us," Sanchez said. "They see globalization as a menace. They see democracy as an infringement on their means to govern."

The United States must eliminate Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists and this can be made more difficult because of advancing technology including the Internet, he said.

The military intelligence the Bush administration received was not adequate enough to declare war and it was a mistake, said Sohail Hassan, a junior political science major.

"I believe, being Muslim, Saddam should have been removed from power, but not in the method he was," Hassan said. "General Sanchez emphasized war and (that) that was the only way to go. He said our military intelligence was good enough to say that, but I believe that Saddam should have been removed through faith sanctions, which are basically that we put trade embargoes on them or take something that could keep them from functioning."

Jessica Adams said the United States is doing the right thing by going to war.

"Obviously something needed to be done," said Adams, a freshman speech communication major. "Iraq was an imminent threat, that was one thing he said. Politicians were given the most information at the time and they based their decision off of that."

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