by Christopher Stark - The Metropolitan

Andrei Khristoforov, professor of hydrology at Moscow State University, explained the difficulties of rebuilding Afghanistan Oct. 8 in the Tivoli

They say Rome was not built in a day; the same could be said about the rebuilding of Iraq.
What is being done by the United States and what needs to be done by the Bush administration was echoed during a lecture delivered by Hamzi Moghrabi on Oct. 7 at the Tivoli, Room 640. The lecture titled “Nation Building in Iraq: Where Are We?” was one of a series of lectures delivered during the 6th Annual Honors Conference.

Moghrabi is a native of Palestine who is presently living in Beirut, Lebanon. Although he flew in a day before the lecture, he is not a stranger to Denver; he studied civil engineering in Colorado and lived in Denver for 18 years.

“The subject we are discussing is a sensitive issue,” Moghrabi said as he started speaking to professors and students after a dinner section. “The removal of Saddam Hussein is approved by all peace loving nations.”

Moghrabi was armed with nothing but a piece of paper and a microphone as he mounted the podium. He began the lecture by educating the audience about the history of Iraq and the Iraqi people.

“Iraqi people are ancient people, but Iraq is not an ancient nation,” Moghrabi said
Moghrabi recounted the events of 1916 when Iraq came into existence, and the times between 1916 and 1927 when Iraqis revolted against the British and were calling for the freedom they were promised during World War I. Moghrabi said, “We are still suffering from the effect of World War I.”

Moghrabi wasted no time in recommending how to successfully rebuild Iraq.

“We can enlist the help of successful Iraqis all over the world; they are successful and can run the country,” Moghrabi said. “Let us legalize the illegal in terms of free enterprise and let the country move on.”

He said there are Iraqi scientists, doctors, and engineers who left the country and never went back and are now living all around the world.

“The Iraqi people are able; all they want is to see that they have a fair play, that they have a future.” Moghrabi said.

Dolph Grundman, the director of the honors program, said there are two things to be considered in nation rebuilding; first, what are the necessary steps that have to be taken in the process of rebuilding, and secondly, what are the obstacles that could be faced in the process of rebuilding.

Moghrabi also suggested that the United States should bring back the Iraqi army and put them under a new leadership. “Part of the problem in Iraq today,” said Moghrabi, “is the Iraq army who disappeared with all the weapons and they have no job or steady salary.” With all these weapons in their possession and no monitoring, Moghrabi argued that they would sell their conscience for any amount to anybody who wants to use them for terrorist acts.

“Iraq is a rich nation of poor people,” Moghrabi said.

Moghrabi said “All that the Iraqi people want is independence and security from a government they trust,” he said “true freedom does not exist in Iraq.”

“I would not want to stand in the morning and salute the picture of Saddam, I would rather salute a flag,” Moghrabi said as he raised his voice to show his seriousness.

During a question section Moghrabi said that a new Iraqi constitution is being written in England. He said that all parts of Iraq are being represented.

“What will be the outcome of the constitution we don’t know,” Moghrabi said, “but we are advocating a constitution that will protect the civil right of both minorities and majorities.”
Moghrabi said, “In order to successfully rebuild Iraq we have to look at culture, unfinished histories, and stop looking at geography which leads us to wrong interpretation of the world.”