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Defeat Troops, Professor Says
Wants 'a million Mogadishus'

By Ron Howell
STAFF WRITER

March 28, 2003

At an anti-war "teach-in" this week, a Columbia University professor called for the defeat of American forces in Iraq and said he would like to see "a million Mogadishus" - a reference to the Somali city where American soldiers were ambushed, with 18 killed, in 1993.

"The only true heroes are those who find ways that help defeat the U.S. military," Nicholas De Genova, an assistant professor of anthropology and Latino studies at Columbia University, told the audience at Low Library Wednesday night. "I personally would like to see a million Mogadishus."

De Genova was referring to the Mogadishu ambush and firefight, known for its graphic image of a slain American soldier being dragged through the streets. The battle was portrayed in the film "Black Hawk Down."

The crowd was largely silent at De Genova's remark. They loudly applauded him later when he said, "If we really [believe] that this war is criminal ... then we have to believe in the victory of the Iraqi people and the defeat of the U.S. war machine."

At least two of the speakers who followed De Genova distanced themselves from his comments. One of them was teach-in organizer Eric Foner, a history professor, who disagreed with De Genova's assertion that Americans who called themselves "patriots" also were white supremacists.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Foner went further in his criticism, calling De Genova's statements "idiotic."

"I thought that was completely uncalled for," Foner said. "We do not desire the deaths of American soldiers."

Foner said that because of the university's tradition of freedom of speech, it was unlikely De Genova would suffer professionally in any way because of what he said.

"A person's politics have no impact on their employment status here, whether they are promoted, whether they are fired or whether they get tenure," Foner said.

De Genova did not want to discuss yesterday whether he had tenure. Acknowledging his beliefs are more radical than those of many others at Wednesday's forum, he said his remarks reflect his concern for oppressed people. While he did not retract his statements, he said he hoped they do not lead to "death threats," like those he received after a controversial speech at a pro-Palestinian rally last spring.

Regarding Wednesday's reference to Mogadishu, the professor, who is 35 and from Chicago, said the U.S. Army is composed largely of men and women who have a "treacherous lack of prospects for a decent life," but even so, they "have a choice" in whether to oppress people like the Iraqis. He said the Iraqis must liberate themselves from domestic oppressors as well as from foreign invaders like the United States.

More than 3,000 students and faculty attended the Wednesday teach-in, which lasted from 6 p.m. until about midnight and featured more than two dozen professors and other scholars.

The applause at De Genova's call for the defeat of U.S.-led forces in Iraq reflected widespread frustration at the inability to reverse President George W. Bush's Middle East policies, Foner said.

"A kind of flamboyant statement like that will get an applause in the heat of the moment," the history professor said.

By turns, the speakers Wednesday night said the Bush administration's actions in Iraq were bullying, illegal, deceitful, corrupt and murderous. History professor Barbara J. Fields said like-minded Americans should vigorously oppose Bush. "The 'good Germans' of the Nazi era were the few who said, 'No,'" Fields declared.

"the professor, who is 35 and from Chicago, said the U.S. Army is composed largely of men and women who have a "treacherous lack of prospects for a decent life,"

If this professor still has a job Monday morning then I am definately on the wrong planet.

Barbara Fields was featured in Ken Burns' Civil War mini-series.

"A person's politics have no impact on their employment status here, whether they are promoted, whether they are fired or whether they get tenure," Foner said.

I'd say that if he's paid with tax dollars, he'd damned well better be fired. A private school may be able to get away with this, but when my money is taken and used to support this crap, the POS should be tossed out.