by G. Clay Whittaker ‘09

On the seventh anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, The Wilson Center sponsored a timely discussion about the international concerns facing the United States under the banner, “US Foreign Policy and National Security Challenges and the 2008 Presidential Election.”

Lt. Gen. Samuel V. Wilson (USA ret), the College’s first Wilson Fellow, a former Wheat Professor of Leadership Studies and President Emeritus of Hampden-Sydney College, moderated a dialogue among the three presenters.

The special guest of the night was Major General Gary L. Harrell (USA ret), a former Delta Commander who hunted down the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and searched for mobile Iraqi Scud missile launchers in the first Persian Gulf War in 1991.  Harrell led the largest special operations force in U.S. history into combat in Iraq during Operations Desert Storm and Shield, and was also a commander during the 1993 battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, which was the basis for the movie “Black Hawk Down.”

Harrell served as the Director of the Joint Security Directorate for United States Central Command and was instrumental in the initial actions of the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11.

The second guest speaker of the evening was the Rev. Dr. Ben C. Mathes, Founder and President of “Rivers of the World.”  Mathes, known in most countries simply as “Ben,” was awarded an honorary doctorate from Hampden-Sydney College in 1999.  Ben’s activities through Rivers of the World have taken him on mission trips to six continents and over fifty countries and have helped isolated communities like that of Monkey Island, Nicaragua, protect themselves and preserve their ways of life.

The Wilson Center, ever concerned with the issue of leadership and the political and social implications of its presence or absence, seems to find trouble in the current state of the country. Wilson explained in his opening remarks, “Our country, the American society suffers deeply from a poverty in leadership.”  The question then, which was posed about the upcoming election, was “who will best care for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests?”

“We, whether we recognize it on this campus or not… are still at war.  People are fighting and dying, and among them are very distinguished Hampden-Sydney men of recent vintage.” Wilson’s explanation of the relevance for the Hampden-Sydney community extended then toward the upcoming presidential election: “We need to make sure when we listen to the candidates that they know what we’re facing…We and our western friends and allies are in serious trouble on the international stage.”

“This subject could scarcely be covered in three separate three hour courses,” began Wilson.

Harrell discussed his experiences in the Middle East and analyzed the ongoing conflicts from the military perspective, “I still remember when the turning point for me was: when we put people on the ground.”

Harrell defended controversial decisions made by military leadership saying, “We did not leave Afghanistan too quickly, we left Afghanistan when we thought it was prudent.”  Of the invasion of Iraq, Harrell said, “Every intelligence agency in the world agreed that there were weapons of mass destruction there, and he’d already demonstrated a propensity to use it on his own people.  I would submit to you that if you’re the president of the United States and you’re confronted with that situation and you don’t take action, something is wrong with you.”

“The days are long gone when we can defend against the German Army massing along the Polish border,” explained Harrell, who spoke of the changing nature of war. “You tell me a war that’s perfect and I’ll argue with you. There’s no such thing.”

Harrell also addressed the issue of armed combatants of Al Qaeda as protected by Geneva Convention, defending the performance and morale of his troops. “Most of the folks are dedicated to finishing the mission, and in my opinion, that’s because they understand how important it is.  Because we’re all dedicated to making sure that the next attack is an away game, not a home game.  And if you don’t think the next attacks on the United States already have been planned, you need to go and read a little bit more about how al Qaeda works.  I guarantee you that the next attacks on the United States are already planned.”

Harrell asserted, “I think history will look back and say this is one of the most vicious wars we’ve ever been engaged in.”

Mathes talked about other nations seeking uranium in the Congo, and discussed his work in Nicaragua, “My very purposeful planned strategy in this place and others is to help people of faith who want to stand firm in their faith – my intention is to help those people to claim the boundaries of their own land and to try to secure jobs that will give them a sense of purpose and dignity within their own boundaries.”

Wilson used his own time to remind a captivated audience of the geographic and philosophical differences between Russia and the U.S.  He pointed out that our Western philosophical and political history and the ideals of men like Hamilton and Jefferson have shaped a different society in the U.S. than was formed in Russia.

He concluded the evening by humbly saying of the accomplishments of his generation and the generations of the panelists, “We old guys are leaving you a mess, and the least we can do is to get with you on occasions like this evening and try to tell you what we did wrong, what we’ve learned, and give you any help we can because you’ve got the problem now.”