Somber faces and somber words were evident at the SE Campus faculty-led symposium on Iraq.

Just one day after U.S. troops invaded Iraq, SE Campus held a symposium to inform students about the conflict.

Panelists included John Perkins, history professor; Dr. Hamed Madani, professor of political science; Eloy Gomez, professor of economics; Dr. Ehi Agboaye, professor of political science, and Chuck Hope, assistant professor of history.

"Power struggle is the business of all politics," Agboaye said.

For a perspective on the conundrum of a preemptive strike, Agboaye referenced the Declaration of Independence, using it to express his political opinion.

"The Declaration says, 'When in the course of human events' (It talks about humanity-that means all of us, not just Americans) 'it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another.' Saddam Hussein is destructive to the ends of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the Iraqi people. The Iraqi people cannot rise on their own, so it's our right to defend them," he said.

Hope also added that historical precedence for preemption has been set with such wars as the Punic Wars, between Rome and Carthage, and the wars between Mexico and Texas.

Agboaye said the moral impetus for this war lies in the "Christian ethics" that he believes the Founding Fathers subscribed to.

Madani explained the deep roots of religion within the Middle East as well.

"The Middle East is the genesis of three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam," he said.

Madani explained that the attack on Iraq has inflamed and will continue to inflame a portion of the Middle East population's views of America.

"America is coming back into the role of an imperial power. The new imperialism is a democratic imperialism, where we wish to spread democratic values to the rest of the world," he said.

Madani articulated a cautious optimism to the military effort, but said the effects and outcome of war are always uncertain.

Gomez spoke of the uncertain costs of war and the budget deficits that will result.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the first month of the war at $10 billion and each subsequent month at $8 billion (not including Afghanistan), Gomez said.

Part of the enormous cost is the expense of munitions and war materials, Gomez said.

"About 10 percent of munitions in the first Gulf War were 'smart weapons,' that is precision guided, and now-in this war-probably 90 percent will be," he said.

Perkins said much has changed in the decade since the first Gulf War: our weapons and military have improved while the Iraqi military capabilities have declined.

However, Perkins also cautioned members of the audience regarding the uncertainty of war.

In addition, Perkins encouraged students to read about the war in newspapers and periodicals, as well as in books.