NEW YORK—In a city like New York that’s full of events to choose from, The Great Issues Forum series is worth checking out. Hosted by the City University of New York (CUNY), the panel discussions of experts are moderated and centered around a different thematic issue every year—2009’s theme is power.
March 10 was the fourth forum in this year’s series, and boasted a distinguished panel of experts who discussed military power. The panelists included Alex de Waal, program director of the Social Science Research Council; General Barry McCaffrey, four-star general in the U.S. Army (retired); and Thomas Ricks, The Washington Post’s Special Military Correspondent. Ricks is also a bestselling book author and recently published “The Gamble,” about General David Petraeus and the American military in Iraq from 2006-2008.
Tuesday’s forum, held before an audience of about 300, included a detailed discussion about the use of military power in Iraq and Afghanistan. The panelists agreed that using military force to resolve problems in the region has not been the best solution.
“I think the American invasion of Iraq was the biggest mistake in American foreign policy history,” said Ricks, who added that the future of the region looks bleak, especially when it comes to who will ultimately come to power. “I think what we [will] end up with is a smarter, tougher version of Saddam Hussein.”
De Waal added that he thinks the lessons of today won’t be referenced by future generations.
“Learning seems to happen during war, and then 20 years later it’s forgotten,” said de Waal. “Why do we keep deluding ourselves that we learn from history?”
All three panelists also agreed that success in Afghanistan might be even more difficult than in Iraq, partially because of the harsh terrain and lack of infrastructure.
“Afghanistan is an unusual case,” said McCaffrey. “[We need to] tell the American people we’re there for 25 years, and it’s an international operation—we’re there to do nation building.”
McCaffrey added that one of the greatest logistical problems for U.S. military success in Afghanistan is that it’s land-locked.
“Afghanistan could be a bigger problem than Iraq,” said McCaffrey. “The U.S. Army shouldn’t go anywhere where we can’t go down to the ocean and find the Navy.”
The event, which lasted about 90 minutes, did not include a Q&A session. However, a small group of three protesters screamed at Gen. McCaffrey as the panelists left the stage. They were dragged out of the room by campus security and asked to leave the premises.
The next CUNY Great Issues Forum is on March 16, and the final forum in the 2009 series will be on April 28.
The Great Issues Forum
City University of New York (CUNY)
www.greatissuesforum.org
Upcoming Forum:
Power and Religion: Christian Thought and American Politics
Monday, March 16, 2009
7:00 p.m., The Martin E. Segal Theatre
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street
New York, NY 10016
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