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In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Memorial Student Center Wiley Lecture Series organized an expert panel for their program, "Iraq: The Road Ahead," Friday.
Lee Gunter, chairman of the Wiley Lecture Series Committee, began the program with moderator Bernard Kalb, introducing the distinguished panelists.
"One of the biggest issues on the minds of Texas A&M students and voters is the current war in Iraq," Gunter said. "Though approval of the current military leadership on the ground and recent troop surge has increased, a majority of Americans contend that the benefits of the war are not worth the costs and that the U.S.-led invasion was a mistake. As dissent over the war and military costs continue to rise, this is a pressing topic that our generation must address."
Following introductions, panelists introduced insight to the topics and how their assessment has developed into the future direction they see for rebuilding efforts and security measures in Iraq.
Former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., said he agrees with Defense Secretary Robert Gates that the focus should remain on the most important military component: training Iraqis to be able to secure their own national integrity.
Hamilton, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years, was co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group with former Secretary of State James Baker.
Sustainability is the key political question for voters, Hamilton said, "How long will American people have to support this effort?"
Hamilton said that the U.S. must be prepared to provide the necessary resources to enable Iraq to be independently sustainable, a decision that will be made by the next president. "There is a dangerous array of new challenges that face the new president, and he or she must move quickly," he said.
He said the next president's main goal will be to improve the world, and thus the lives of Americans.
Gen. Peter Pace, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the panelists had different views, but that no one was right or wrong, he was here to share the truth that he has learned through his experience. "There are things I do not know, but my truth will help you discover your own."
He listed the actions he advised leaders to take in Iraq, leading the audience to the idea that it would be "disastrous to leave, as it would hand the country over to our enemies."
"Though in any crisis, somebody has to leave," Pace said, "but the question should be 'how do we prevail' not 'when can we leave.'"
Pace said that dialogue was the path toward solutions
"We will not know the right path until we sit down and listen," Pace said. "It will not be easy, for there is no exit sign hanging above the door."
Journalist Kalb began the panel discussion by noting the theme he noticed in the speakers remarks. It will take years until this war is finished, which led to his first discussion question, "Do you think public opinion is ready to give more years, money and American lives to this war?"
Former Ambassador and leader of the Iraq rebuilding program, the Coalition Provisional Authority, L. Paul Bremer, answered first saying that "people don't like war, but even more they don't want to lose this war."
Bremer brought up that the struggle is between Iraqi sectarian differences, and that reconciliation was happening, citing examples of oil contracts and the speediness of the political process to write a constitution and form political parties, but that it was not happening on a national level quite yet.
Kalb said none of these motives of reconciliation could provide optimism that the ethnic rivalries will be overcome.
Hamiton concurred: "American people need to see the light at the end of the tunnel and they haven't seen it. They do not believe we have put the resources needed into this war - not just militarily by diplomatic as well."
Pace said, "There is certainly not a military solution. We can kill people all day long, but [the surge of troops] can only provide a stable environment. We must surge in diplomatic realms as well."
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