The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Thursday, March 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

UVa. professor lectures on US foreign policy

Melvyn Leffler, professor at UVA, speaks to a crowded room. He speaks of American government entering Iraq and "operating primarily out of a sense of threat."
Melvyn Leffler, professor at UVA, speaks to a crowded room. He speaks of American government entering Iraq and "operating primarily out of a sense of threat."

University of Virginia professor Melvyn Leffler believes the common critique of the Bush administration’s motivations for going to war is simplistic.

Leffler gave a lecture Monday in Hamilton Hall, “George W. Bush & Saddam Hussein: Why Did the U.S. Go to War Against Iraq in March 2003?” as a part of a series put on by the Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professorship called “The U.S. in World Affairs: The Cold War & Beyond.”

Klaus Larres, who holds the professorship, said he wanted to bring Leffler to UNC as part of an effort to engage students in foreign relations and critical thinking about U.S. foreign policy.

“(Students) can have an interaction with eminent scholars they may not usually meet,” Klaus said. “They will have the possibility to challenge them and ask them things in the Q&A session.”

Leffler introduced his view by saying that he wanted to complicate the critique of the Bush administration, and he defended the administration’s fears regarding Hussein.

“They were operating primarily out of a sense of threat, not out of a sense of opportunity,” Leffler said in his lecture. “There were reasons other than lies — good reasons — why people held these attitudes about Saddam and the need to remove him.

“Tragedy in U.S. historical experience happens when leaders want to do good things but wind up producing horrible results,” he said.

Leffler said concentrating on pride and desire for power as the potential reasons for the administration’s actions caricaturizes people and obscures the truth.

“Bush went to war with Saddam Hussein for understandable and good reasons, but good reasons do not always produce good results,” Leffler said.

The question and answer session for Leffler’s lecture lasted more than 45 minutes as professors and students engaged Leffler with questions and debate.

“My favorite part was definitely the question and answer, so people were able to challenge his stance,” political science and global studies major Peter Diaz said.

Audience members questioned Leffler about his thoughts on whether ignorance and cultural blindness influenced Bush administration policies, and Leffler responded to these concerns and defended his argument.

Peace, war, and defense major Naethan Burch attended the lecture for a history class.
“It was definitely interesting for our former discussions,” he said.

“This was applicable to current foreign policy.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

Special Print Edition
The Daily Tar Heel's Collaborative Mental Health Edition