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Volume 47, Issue 12 | wednesdAY, september 11, 2013 | ndsmcobserver.com
9/11 haunts national conscience 12 years later, attack still resonates in foreign relations By ANN MARIE JAKUBOWSKI and KAITLYN RABACH News Editor and Saint Mary’s Editor
Twelve years after the World Trade Center tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States’ foreign policy remains affected by the attack’s lingering effects and “oversensitivity to terrorism,” according to experts. Michael Desch, Notre Dame political science professor and fellow at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace, said the Sept. 11 attack was catalytic and disproportionate in its political impact. “One of the real consequences you see is the willingness of the American public to do things in the name of preventing another 9/11 that they would otherwise not agree to, including two long wars overseas and some pretty significant restrictions of our civil liberties at home,” Desch said. The American public perceives the possibility of a repeated attack
as much greater than it truly is, Desch said. “I think the magnitude of the threat of international terrorism historically is very low, a lot lower than the probability of dying in a car crash or from domestic gun violence or other things like that,” he said. “And yet, we tend to remain fixated on the possibility of another terrorist attack in a way that’s out of sync with the real danger it presents to us.” Daniel Lindley, a Notre Dame political science associate professor and a fellow with the Kroc Institute, said he sees two major ways the memory of Sept.11 still affects today’s politics. “First of all, we see it in the general sensitivity to terrorism. We still spend a lot of money trying to combat terrorism, in particular through intelligence programs,” Lindley said. “Second, you see a huge amount of war wariness in
Photo courtesy of Keith Wagner
see 9/11 PAGE 5
The Freedom Tower stands tall as a symbol of strength and a memorial to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Observer Staff Report
Professors discuss options for Syria Panelists dispute nature of conflict, potential solutions
Experts say Russian compact is not the end
By HENRY GENS
By TORI ROECK
News Writer
Associate News Editor
Three preeminent Notre Dame faculty members debated the relative merits and consequences of American military and political intervention in Syria on Tuesday. David Cortright, director of policy studies at the Kroc Institute for Peace Studies, moderated the panel discussion. Although a proposition by Russia earlier Tuesday all but mooted the question of imminent military intervention, the panel still engaged in a lively discussion of the United States’ options with regard to Syria. Asher Kaufman, Mary Ellen O’Connell and Michael Desch presented three distinct views
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad agreed to destroy the troubled Middle Eastern country’s chemical weapons Tuesday in a deal brokered by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Professor David Cortright of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, who moderated Tuesday’s panel discussion on the United States’ role in the Syrian crisis, said this development proves the use of force against Syria would have been the wrong decision for the United States. “I hope what we learn from this is that diplomacy can be effective, that the solution to this turns out to be a diplomatic
see PANELISTS PAGE 5
NEWS PAGE 3
EMILY McCONVILLE | The Observer
Michael Desch, chair of the political science department, examines the potential outcomes of American military intervention in Syria.
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
Jenkins founds inclusion board
SCENE PAGE 8
see EXPERTS PAGE 4
FOOTBALL PAGE 16
University President Fr. John Jenkins announced the creation of a President’s Oversight Committee on Diversity and Inclusion in a letter sent via email to all faculty, staff and students Monday morning. The email stated that the committee’s purpose is to extend and deepen the diversity and inclusion of the campus community. “With many colleges and universities across the nation, we believe that a diverse community offers a richer educational environment,” Jenkins said in the email. “What is more, as a Catholic university, Notre Dame is part of one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse organizations in the world today, and we strive to reflect that diversity ever more in our community.” Jenkins said in the email that the committee was formed to “maintain … focus and facilitate appropriate communication, coordination and accountability” on issues surrounding diversity and inclusion on campus. Jenkins will chair the committee. Other members include Laura Carlson, vice president and associate provost and dean of the Graduate School; Ann Firth, chief of staff; Erin Hoffman Harding, vice president for student affairs; Bob McQuade, vice president for human resources; Dan Myers, vice president and associate provost; Hugh Page, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate affairs and dean of the First Year of Studies; Matt Storin, senior project specialist and Sarah Wake, director of the Office of Institutional Equity. Committee members will regularly share information with the President’s Leadership Council and the Deans’ Council, according to the letter. They will also periodically update the University’s Academic Council, staff Town Hall meetings and student government leaders.
SOCCER PAGE 16