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Retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Myers talks terrorism at WCU
By Justin Goble
Students at Western Carolina University got a chance to speak with a former top military adviser to President George W. Bush.
Gen. Richard Myers (ret.), former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a question-and-answer session with WCU students prior to a campus speech Monday afternoon (Sept. 18) titled “World War ‘X:’ What’s at Stake in the Global War on Terror.” The general discussed his role in planning military operations and what the future may hold in the current battle.
Students at Western Carolina University got a chance to speak with General Richard Myers (ret.), a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military adviser to President George W. Bush, during a question-and-answer session Monday (Sept. 18). Myers was on hand for a campus speech, titled “World War ‘X:’ What’s at Stake in the Global War on Terror.”
An Air Force officer and Vietnam veteran, Myers was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as assistant to the Joint Chiefs in 1995. He took office as chairman Oct. 1, 2001, just three weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
“I didn’t plan to stay in the military for 40 years,” he said. “When I was in college, I wanted to go into business with my father. But I stayed in ROTC, where they taught me how to fly. That hooked me.”
Speaking at length about the war on terror, Myers said it was the greatest challenge he has seen in his military career.
“I believe violent extremism is the greatest threat to our way of life since the Civil War,” he said. “These people use terror to create fear. Their actions also have an economic impact. If you look at 9/11, people were afraid to fly after that, which obviously hurt the airline industry.”
General Richard Myers (ret.), right, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and military adviser to President George W. Bush, joined the Western Carolina chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity for breakfast Tuesday morning (Sept. 19). Myers spoke to students during a question-and-answer session Monday (Sept. 18), discussing the global war on terror and what the future may hold in the battle.
To fight this “asymmetrical war,” Myers said leaders have to start developing a strategy that has far reaching goals. Focusing on the short-term military achievements would only make matters worse, he said.
“It’s going to be a decades-long conflict,” he said. “But it’s not going to be a military conflict if the strategy is right. We can’t just keep throwing troops at the violent extremists. It’s going to take an organization like the United Nations to get the international community to say ‘We won’t stand for extremism.’”
One of the biggest challenges the country faces is getting out of “a Cold War mentality,” in which America was prepared to fight another nation-state instead of a small groups of well-organized terrorists.
“I am surprised we haven’t had another attack since 9/11,” he said. “There have been 30 major terrorist attacks in the world since then. This is asymmetrical warfare at its best, and our enemies understand that. Whoever said ‘we’re safer, but we’re not safe,’ I think that was an apt description.”
With such a heated political debate surrounding the war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism, students questioned whether Myers’ was ever coerced into going along with the Bush administration’s policies. He responded by saying his position in the military made him apolitical, and while he was in favor of the invasion of Iraq and combat operations in Afghanistan, he was paid to tell the president and the secretary of defense his opinions on military matters.
“We didn’t always agree,” Myers said. “But we were always formal. You tell them what you think, and in the end, the people who decide are the politicians. The military just salutes and goes on with its business.”
As an example, Myers pointed out an incident concerning how to treat terrorists if captured. President Bush argued illegal combatants, such as those who target civilians, were not entitled to fair treatment as outlined by the Geneva Convention. Myers said he took another stance.
“I argued that our troops should be treated in accord with the Geneva Convention,” Myers said. “So we ought to treat all other combatants in accord with the Geneva Convention as well. In the end, we came to a compromise. The president said that illegal combatants weren’t entitled to such treatment, but we would treat them that way.”
Whatever people think about the war on terror, Myers said people need to look into the issue for themselves.
“I think people need to come to their own conclusions,” Myers said. “We need to get away from focusing solely on the political debate, which seems to be hyped up by the media. Instead, I think it’s a good idea to study the threat and try to understand it.”
And though it was obvious from the questions posed that some of the students disagreed with the actions taken on Myers’ watch, many said they respected the general for speaking so frankly about terrorism.
“I greatly enjoyed it,” said Max Long, a WCU senior political science major. “It’s a rare opportunity to hear from someone who is so influential on foreign policy. It’s a great idea, and WCU would benefit from having more people like him come speak.”
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