February 12, 1998 Contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens (615) 322-2706 annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu

Vanderbilt expert on Middle East

says U.S. attack on Iraq needs broader legitimization

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Any U.S. military attack on Iraq will be perceived by some of America's allies as a classic 19thcentury punitive expedition, warns a Vanderbilt University lecturer on the Middle East.

William Longwell, who labels himself a "reservationist" concerning the escalation of the Iraqi conflict, sees two major problems with a potential military response to the weapons inspection impasse. First of all, there would be a contradiction in terms of the United States bombing targets that it does not know for certain house weapons.

"Even with our very sophisticated spy links, we get beguiled by this type of technology," Longwell said.

He also said the United States' difficult experience in Somalia demonstrates the problems that a military operation encounters when it tries to be a police force on foreign soil.

"America has earned a reputation, and deservedly so, of brushing aside some of its allies' foreign policy concerns but expecting them to jump. This is especially true of French and Russian interests in the Middle East," he said.

Longwell maintains there has been no consistency in America's use of sanctions, with the overlooking of human rights abuses and other problems when it is to our advantage.

"Several nations, including France and Russia, are again ambivalent about our ability to be an honest power broker in the Middle East," Longwell said.

Editor's note: William Longwell is a lecturer in the Vanderbilt history department, teaching courses on nationalism and Islam in the Middle East as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict. He can be reached for additional comment at (615) 322- 6950.

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