With President Bush's speech last night signaling imminent conflict with Iraq, opinions on the war have divided the Brandeis community. "I still feel like the president hasn't shown us any reason why we should go to war. He hasn't shown us any of these links, he just keeps saying it," said Steven Laferriere '04, a moderator of the Anti-War Coalition's mailing list. In recent months, the Coalition has been making announcements about its planned walkout should the United States attack Iraq. With the prospect of war increasing this week, Laferriere is focused on a walkout as the Brandeis anti-war movement's cornerstone event. "We're planning on having the walkout the day after the war starts. In the future there may be other events, but right now we're mostly focused on the walkout," he said.

Protest in the face of military conflict is nothing strange to Brandeis, a campus that saw a great amount of dissent during the 1960's and 1970's, during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. Safety will be an issue during any protests or rallies, and the Department of Public Safety says it is prepared to handle tasks that come with dissent. "We as a department of public safety try to give people as much leeway as possible," Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said, assuring students there will be minimal public safety interference. "Obviously, we will not interfere as long as people are peaceful and not destructive," he added. Callahan also commented on the importance of dissent at a campus, saying, "It's the mission of an academic institution, as long as no one's rights are violated."

The anti-war movement draws support from faculty as well as students. Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) spoke passionately against the war in Iraq and the 'War on Terrorism' on the whole. "This war has been planned since before Bush became president. It sets a horribly dangerous example of preemptive war. It is consistent with Bush's violation of all international treaties, and there is no link (between Hussein and al Qaeda)," Fellman said in a phone interview. "I consider war the way of the weak. Making war is for the imagination challenged, it only reasserts masculinity," he added.

Professor Jacob Cohen (AMST) offers a much different perspective on the war. "I am in support of the president's position," he said. However, Cohen left the door open to the possibility of a solution not requiring an invasion by the U.S. military, saying he thinks that "It is possible that Saddam will leave the country or be assassinated, which will allow that the U.S. can enter peacefully."

Professor Stephen Whitfield (AMST) is also in favor of military action. "I'm strongly in favor despite concern that wars can go badly," he said. Even with this reservation, Whitfield depicted this conflict as a choice between "an exceptionally cruel and brutal despot who has killed his own people and devastated his country on the one hand, and on the other the prospect of a quick and decisive American victory by the application of overwhelming military force as in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan."

Although the anti-war movement has consistently gathered more steam over the past few months, there exists a vocal pro-war contingent of the student body. United We Stand, a new club that describes itself as "an outlet for Brandeis students to express their support for America," plans to counter the actions of the Anti-War Coalition with events of its own. "United We Stand encourages everyone to go to class, even if their professor is not there," said club president Mira Meyerovich '03. "Also, we are asking people to wear yellow ribbons or red, white and blue ribbons as a sign of support for our country, our troops and victory in Iraq. We will be handing out free ribbons for people to wear," she said.

United We Stand also issued a campus-wide e-mail last night to announce their "Support America Campaign." Club Secretary and Public Relations Officer Joshua Wiznitzer '03 authored the message, repeating the ideas initially voiced by Meyerovich. He also divulged his personal views. "I have long supported President Bush and I believe that his comments earlier this evening were right on target. He did an excellent job laying out the case against Saddam," Wiznitzer said late Monday evening.

Not every student approved of Monday's presidential address. People like Laferriere remain unconvinced about many of the president's arguments. "I still think there's no clear reason. The speech was forceful and the ultimatum was a good idea, but he certainly hasn't convinced me," Laferriere said. Fellman said he believes the president's motives in war are unfounded and perhaps even hypocritical. "There is no link. For Bush to claim that Saddam is evil for ignoring the United Nations, if he were more self-conscious, he would be talking about himself," Fellman said.

North Quad Senator Daniel Mauer '06, who has been a leading student voice in the anti-war lobby, most visibly with his proposed referendum to officially state that the undergraduate student body is opposed to the impending war, was surprised by Monday's events. "When I found out a lot of Bush's plan had changed, I was absolutely stunned," Mauer said. He also hopes, though doubts, that Hussein will comply with the ultimatum to avoid the costs of war. "I'm hoping for the best, which I see as Saddam leaving voluntarily because there are horrendous aspects of war that are very real and we don't want them to take place," he added. Despite yesterday's developments, Mauer said his referendum is now in consideration before the Union Senate.

Although Saddam Hussein has been offered the opportunity to peacefully step down from power, both sides of the war argument at Brandeis appear ready for war to occur. "War is about people being killed. If it's about terrorism and terrorism is the killing of innocent civilians, then the United States is also a terrorist," Fellman said. Cohen said he believes "Saddam's defeat is absolutely certain." The coming days will finalize the decision of war in Iraq, and then only time can tell which view on the conflict will prevail.