The Chart Online

CAB, faculty anticipate former arms inspector
Allison Rosewicz

Editor-in-Chief

The Campus Activities Board is bringing a timely topic to the College.

Scott Ritter, former United Nations weapons inspector to Iraq, will lecture at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 21 in Taylor Auditorium. The speech is titled The Coming War with Iraq: How Did We Get Here?

We really want to expose students and the community to the debate and dialogue surrounding the Iraq issue, said Jeremy Sturgell, CAB lectures chair and interim president.

Sturgell worked to bring Ritter to campus.

He has busted his tail to get this done, said Julie Blackford, director of student activities. It s so good to see students pro-active like that.

Sturgell said his philosophy is to bring lecturers to Missouri Southern that augment the education.

He s a very visible public figure, he said. With the events in the world right now, it s very timely to bring him here. It s very rare that CAB can bring someone of his caliber here.

Ritter s lecture is being funded by student activity fees that go to CAB. Blackford and Sturgell said the College is getting a great bargain from Ritter.

Jeremy [Sturgell] did a great job of negotiating the price, Blackford said.

Ritter is considered a hero by some, and a spy by the Iraqi government. He wrote a book, Endgame, about his fight against arms proliferation in Iraq. The book explores the failings of American policy in the Persian Gulf and alternatives the United States government could implement.

Dr. Tom Simpson, associate professor of political science, agreed with Sturgell that Ritter is a high-caliber speaker. He said Ritter is the type of lecturer CAB should always bring to campus.

This is more like it, he said. I d sacrifice free ice cream in a second for more lectures like this.

As a prelude to his lecture, Ritter s documentary, (ITAL)In Shifting Sands(END ITAL), was shown at 1 p.m., Oct. 16 in Webster Auditorium. The film focused on the UN and UNSCOM s (the UN weapons inspection team) attempt to disarm Iraq.

According to Ritter s In Shifting Sands more than 1.2 million Iraqis have died due to the shortcomings of UN sanctions. The video also features interviews with world leaders such as Kofi Anan, Secretary General of the UN, and Tariq Aziz, Vice President and Minister of Russia.

Ritter s lecture will include a first-hand account of the effect UN sanctions have had on the Iraqi people.

Simpson said Ritter will challenge audience members.

Folks who think they re going to hear a pep rally for war are going to be shocked, he said.

Simpson called Ritter an aggressive UN arms inspector, well-regarded in the field, and confrontational and thorough.

Ritter is a ballistic missile technology expert who worked in military intelligence in the former Soviet Union and the Middle East for 12 years in the Army. As a major in the Marines, he served under General Norman Schwarzkopf with Marine Central Command headquarters in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.

Ritter joined UNSCOM in 1991, and took part in more than 30 inspections. He was the chief in 14 of those inspections.

In 1995, his team discovered missile guidance equipment Iraq had bought from Russia through a Palestinian agent. Leading his team to Iraq in 1998, Iraqi officials prevented them from entering the country, accusing Ritter of being a spy.

In response, Ritter ordered more inspections. It was decided, however, that further investigations would not take place. In defiance, Ritter resigned his position as chief weapons inspector, saying the illusion of arms control is more dangerous than no arms control at all.

Blackford, Sturgell and Simpson are hoping for a big turnout at the lecture. Simpson said audience members must realize we are all a part of the decision regarding the conflict with Iraq.

Ultimately, people are going to die, he said. I hope people don t sit back silently and let them die.

He is one of the bigger names we ve brought here, Sturgell said. Couple that with the timing, and it may be one of the biggest things we ve done in years.