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May 2003

Kalb draws comparisons between Vietnam and Iraq

Bernard Kalb spent time with journalism students before his lecture at the University Center.

During a recent UNF visit, noted journalist Bernard Kalb drew some stark comparisons between the Vietnam War and the Iraq war to explain why one ended in defeat, while the other seems headed for victory.

Kalb, who reported extensively from South Vietnam during the lengthy war there, said the principle difference between the conflicts is nationalism.

"In Vietnam, we could not win because we knew North Vietnam would keep sending thousands of troops to the south who were willing to fight and die to reunite their country," Kalb said.

"Nationalism embraced by its people is possibly the most powerful weapon in any country's arsenal," he noted. "In Vietnam, we learned that there was a level of nationalism there that could not be overcome."

However, in Iraq, Kalb said that level of nationalism is not being exhibited.
"We have seen a few pockets of nationalism, but it has not materialized in any meaningful way," he said. "By and large, the Iraqis seem to be watching and waiting."

Kalb has seen the power of nationalism throughout his journalism career. He has traveled the world working as a correspondent for CBS News, NBC News and The New York Times.

The journalist said he is convinced that nationalism is percolating just below the surface in Iraq. "When we reach that critical point when there is a certainty that Saddam Hussein is gone, the population will rise up and embrace nationalism," he predicted.

Nevertheless, Kalb said the effort to establish a democracy in Iraq is risky for the United States because the region has no history of democratically elected governments.

"This is an experiment in democracy by a country that doesn't know the first thing about democracy," he said.

There is one similarity between the two wars. Kalb said he was visiting Hanoi recently when he heard the news that the United States began dropping bombs with B-52s on Iraq.

"I couldn't help but wonder if they were the same planes the U.S used in Vietnam," he said.