NEWS

UNC faculty panel to discuss Iraq war

CHAPEL HILL -- Five top faculty members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will hold a panel discussion on Tuesday evening (April 1) about the war with Iraq.

The event, "The Iraq War after 10 Days," will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Union Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

Speakers and their topics will be:

• Dr. Richard H. Kohn, professor of history and chair of the UNC Curriculum in Peace, War & Defense, which is sponsoring the event, "The Military Campaign from the American Perspective."
• Arthur Mark Weisburd, professor of law, "Is it Legal and Does that Matter?"
• Dr. Douglas Maclean, professor of philosophy, "Is it Ethical and Moral: Ends and Means?"
• Dr. James Stimson, Raymond Dawson professor of political science, "Will the American People Continue to Support It?"
• Dr. Michael Hunt, Emerson professor of history, "Implications for American Foreign Policy."

"Our curriculum has among its chief missions informing the university and local communities on issues of peace, war and national defense, and this panel means to help accomplish that mission," said Kohn. "Carolina has a number of distinguished faculty with knowledge and expertise in various topics and disciplines relevant to this war, and we want to engage with the university as a whole and the public in a helpful way."

UNC Chancellor James C. Moeser has encouraged faculty to use the war as an opportunity to educate and expand perspectives, he said. The panel consists of faculty members who could talk on an evening when a suitable room also was available. Others with different expertise and perspectives could not participate Tuesday but might be able to soon.

"We hope students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public will attend," Kohn said. "My sense is that we are deluged with reports about what is happening but in bits and pieces, with little about the larger picture of the war, its context and its implications.

"At this early point, our judgments are liable to be preliminary and perhaps will be revised on the basis of later events and information," the historian said. "But we believe very strongly in the value of trying to help the university as a whole -- and our community -- understand what is happening and what it means."

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Contact: David Williamson, (919) 962-8596