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Misinformation keeps soldiers fighting
By Patrick Webster
managing editor
paw 175( psu edu
It is three years later, and, as a nation,
we still find ourselves stuck in that
annoying country named Iraq.
Even though President Bush declared
victory and mission accomplished quite
literally years ago, the reports coming
from military officials and political lead
ers in Iraq claim that the country closer
to civil war than ever. Tensions between
Sunni and Shiite Muslims seem MEM
to be escalating at an ever
increasing rate as daily bomb
ings and attacks on opposing
holy sites further stir up con
tentious feelings between the
two sects
Something even more trou
bling, though, is the result of
recent Zogby polls of U.S.
troops in Iraq. Almost a third
think that a pull out should begin
immediately. Nearly 72 percent
believe that the United States should exit
the country by the end of the year.
Most disconcerting, however, is the
data that shows that around 90 percent of
the troops think we're there "to retaliate
for Saddam's role in the 9/11 attacks." A
slightly smaller number, only 77 percent,
agrees that we went there to stop al-
Qaeda.
What makes this disturbing is that it
has been common knowledge for quite
some time here on the mainland that
0
Ey.
Saddam Hussein had no role in the
attacks on September 11. Nor did he
harbor terrorists from al-Qaeda or assist
in any kind of training for the organiza
tion. It baffles the mind that in 2006
there could still be a sizable population
that believes these things. Since the pri
mary source of information for the
troops overseas is the U.S. government
itself, it is clear that this is the kind of
information they're being given and/or
that the government is doing nothing to
correct.
This is a particularly
bad time to start tossing
nuclear weapons
around.
Why? Shortly after the poll numbers
were released, there were naturally sev
eral political pundits who stepped out
immediately to give reasons why it
might be necessary for the government
to encourage our troops to believe such
things. The most prominent argument,
of course, was that it was necessary to
maintain a higher level of morale and
purpose that such beliefs would rein
force. If the troops were sure that by
invading Iraq they were both dealing
The Behrend Beacon
Published Weekly by the students of Penn State Eric
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beacon
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Letter to the Editor
I'd like to commend the cast and crew of "The Laramie Project" for their
performance thereof; the logistics were competently handled, set and lighting
came off quite well, and all cast members proved well-practiced in their roles.
I would further applaud the group as a whole for their decision to continue Mr.
Shepard's memory, and the cast more so for their accurate rendition of the
Project's findings. Everyone succeeded in conveying the emotional charge
attendant on losing a fellow human to societal failure.
In sum, your efforts are a credit to the theater program, H&SS, this campus,
and most certainly yourselves. Know that you did well, and that it's a shame
we haven't more of you and a larger theater—so that more folks could get the
message
Good work
Annie Sevin, Editor in Chief
Patrick Webster, Managing Editor
Courtney Kaplin, Advertising Manager
Randy Martell, Public Relations Manager
Kim Young, Adviser
News Editor
Jennifer Haight
Sports Editor
Chris LaFuna
Opinion Editor
Daniel Mitchell
Humor Editor
Jerry Pohl
Distribution Manager Photography Editor
Robert Frank Michelle Vera Suroviec
Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College
First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building
Station Road, Erie, PA 16563
Contact the Beacon at:
Telephone: (814) 898-6488
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Friday, April 14, 2006
proper justice for the losses of their
countrymen in New York and Somerset
as well as preventing further al-Qaeda
activities, they would certainly fight
harder and more passionately. Such mis
information isn't only justified, it's nec-
essary!
Such an assertion is ridiculous
should not have to lie to our troops to get
them to fight. If you have to make up
fake reasons and goals for our troops to
he able to fight effectively, there are far
deeper problems with the war that you're
fighting than you might think.
It doesn't help that reports
were released this week that
revealed that the administration
has started planning military
options against Iran. Iran, of
course. continues to develop its
nuclear technology, and while it
claims that its research is entire
ly peaceful. Bush has pretty well
proven that the only way to avoid
having the United States come in
to - remove - your weapons of
mass destruction is to actually possess
them. Of course, with all our troops cur
rently unavailable because they're doing
their best to keep the country next door
from detonating into a messy full-scale
civil war, the administration included
plans to use nuclear weapons in a possi
ble war against Iran. With the
already touchy position the U.S. is in
with both its allies and enemies the
world over, this is a particularly bad time
to start tossing nuclear weapons around.
Student Life Editor
Sean Mail°
Calendar Page Editor
Siohhan Conway
Copy Editors
Kate Kelecseny
Rachael Conway
Justin Plansinis
Jordan Gilmore