BRIEF: Foglietta, students discuss Middle East

Foglietta, who has served on the House Armed Serices Committee for the past 10 years, named his discussion "The Middle East and Operation Desert Shield/Sewer." During the first half of his hour-long talk in Vance Hall, Foglietta urged students to keep in mind the peaceful alternatives to what could be a costly war. Reminding students of the breakdown of the Berlin Wall, Foglietta said "today we are poised for war, while we could be poised for a new world order." He suggested giving an embargo a chance to put pressure on Saddam Hussein. But for the remaining 30 minutes, students voiced their concerns about the effectiveness of the diplomatic solutions Foglietta suggested. Highly debated was the issue of appeasement and negotiated concessions to Hussein, which students feared could be mistaken as rewards for aggression. The event was sponsored by the Penn Political Union, a non-partisan organization whose goal is to provide forums for political discussion. -- Mikail Ariff

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