Freshman ROTC cadet Hannah Skelton said she accepts that her brother could be deployed soon. “You go into that knowing that the possibility is there,” she said.
The United States is on the verge of war with Iraq.
A U.N. Security Council resolution passed Friday promises “serious consequences” for Iraq if it does not eliminate its weapons of mass destruction. Iraq has until the end of this week to indicate whether it will comply, and White House officials have said that if Saddam Hussein fails to disarm, the United States will take action.
Here at the University, student reaction was mixed.
Jarrett White of the College Republicans said he was happy to see the United Nations take a stand against Saddam Hussein.
“I’m glad to see that the U.N. is finally upholding its own policies,” he said.
White added that although the backing of the United Nations is important, it is not necessary.
“We don’t need permission from the U.N. to protect Americans,” he said. “When push comes to shove, we have to act in our own best interests.”
Thomas Nail, a member of the Campus Insurgent collective, disagreed.
“I think it’s a complete violation of national sovereignty in Iraq,” he said.
Nail said that if intervention takes place, it should be in the context of preserving global peace, not promoting U.S. economic interests.
“If there is action to be taken, it should be done under U.N. directives,” he said.
Nail said the mainstream media is overlooking opposition to the war.
“Although 100,000 people turned out in San Francisco and 140,000 turned out in Washington, D.C., the press coverage was negligible,” he said.
Junior anthropology major Kelly Shaw said that Iraq should not be held to a different standard than other countries.
“If we’re going to force any country to disarm itself, we should disarm as well,” he said.
Hannah Skelton, a freshman physics major, said she comes from a military family. Her father served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. Her brother will graduate from the Citadel and will go into the Marine Corps this year. Skelton herself is an Army ROTC cadet bound for West Point next year.
When asked about the possibility of her brother seeing combat in Iraq, Skelton said that it’s all part of the job.
“You go into that knowing that the possibility is there,” she said.
Skelton said she believes the United States has an obligation to prevent Iraq from harming others.
“Whatever Saddam Hussein is doing in Iraq, if it is going to be dangerous for the world, then we should take care of the situation,” she said. “We have to do what needs to be done.”
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