Political Science at Huntingdon College
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PSC 212:  American Policy System

Lecture & Discussion Outlines: Brewster, The Public Agenda;

and Riordan, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall

by Jeremy Lewis; revised 19 Mar. '08.

US Education | The War In Iraq (pro) | Intruding on Rights (pro) | Plunkitt of Tammany Hall


The War In Iraq, debate: Pro. By Brandon Shrout (Spring 2007)
--State Sponsors of Terrorism
--The U.S. State Dept lists seven countries as official sponsors of terrorism. (Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Cuba, North Korea, and Sudan)
--Iraq the only Arab--Muslim country that did not condemn the September 11 attacks.  Known supporters of several terrorist organizations.
--Abu Nidal Organization-- A split of the Palestinian Liberation Organization has carried out attacks in 20 countries, including the Pan Am 73 hijacking in 1986.
--Kurdistan Workers’ Party-- Created in 1974 as a Marx--Leninist group, works against the Turkish government.  Has bombs and has kidnapped foreign tourists.
--National Liberation Army of Iran-- Largest and most active dissident group in Iran.  Very violent against the U.S. in the 1970s.
--Palestine Liberation Front-- Has split several times.  Responsible for attacking a cruise ship in 1985 and conducted attacks against Israel.
--Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-- Founded in 1967 as a Marx--Leninist group, formerly a part of the PLO.  Committed numerous attacks in the 1970s.
 --Iraqi Violations
  --Weapons of Mass Destruction
--On March 16, 1988 Iraq dropped chemical bombs on the Kurds.  Civilians killed: 3,200 to 5,000, with many suffering long--term health problems.
--Chemical weapons during a seven--month Iraqi campaign: 50,000 to 100,000 people killed or disappeared, and hundreds of villages destroyed.
--Breaches of the “no fly zone”
  --In 1992, France, the UK, and US established no-fly zone in northern Iraq to prevent bombing against the Kurds.  Zone authorized by United Nations Security Council
 Resolution 688.
  --Since 1992 there have been hundreds of cases where Iraqi forces have fired anti-aircraft artillery at coalition planes enforcing the Northern no—fly zone.
  --Violations of United Nations Security Council Resolutions
  --Iraq violated Security Council Resolution 1373, by continually sheltering & supporting terrorist organizations that direct violence against Iran, Israel, and Western governments.
  --There were also al-Qaida terrorists known to have escaped from Afghanistan in Iraq.
  --U.N. Commission on Human Rights found “extremely grave” human rights violations in 2001.
  --The Iraqi production and use of weapons of mass destruction (biological weapons, chemical weapons, and long--range missiles), are all in violation of U.N. resolutions.
  --Iraq used proceeds from the United Nations “oil for food” program to purchase weapons rather than food for its people.
 --Resolution 1441
  --Stated that Iraq was in material breach of the ceasefire terms presented under Resolution 687.  Iraq’s breach was not only related to weapons of mass destruction, but also the known construction of prohibited types of missiles, the purchase and import of prohibited armaments, and the refusal of Iraq to compensate Kuwait for the widespread looting conducted by their troops in 1991.
  --On November 8, 2002, the U.N. passed this resolution which urged Iraq to disarm or face “serious consequences”.  Passed 15- 0, supported by Russia, France and China, and Arab countries like Syria.  Had wider support than the 1990 Gulf War resolution.


Intruding on Rights for National Security (Pro)
Psc 212: Rick Riley, Spring 2007

1. Advantages of waiving certain civil rights to fight terror.
A. Gives law Enforcement more access to information on alleged terrorist.
B. Allows government to uncover terrorist plot without the delay of the legal process.
C. Breaks walls that keep government from gaining information where our legal system usually does not allow them to go.
2. The terrorist threat and nature of terrorists.
A. It is known that there are terrorist cells within the U.S.
B. Terrorist have attacked us and plan to attack again!
C. Terrorists are unconventional fighters and we must use any means to stay ahead of the game even if it means violating certain civil liberties.
D. Terrorist have studied our legal system and will hide behind it.
E. Our government needs to use certain tools that violate civil liberties. (wiretapping, surveillance, etc.)
3. Historical examples of intruding on civil rights for national security.
 -Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War:
1. Suspended Right of Habeus Corpus.
2. Expended millions of dollars for military purposes without Congressional Appropriation and raised Army above numbers allowed by law.
3.Seized Property from Commercial ships coming out of Confederate ports and kept it as Prizes of War. (Prize Cases, 1863, Supreme Court upheld Lincoln’s actions)
4. Arrested members of Maryland’s Legislature who he thought would vote for secession.

-Roosevelt, WWII.
  1. Held  Americans of Japanese decent in relocation centers.
  2. Upheld by Supreme Court in Korematsu V. United States.

4. Conclusion
A. Terrorist are a major threat to our national security and must be stopped at all cost.
B. Their tactics are sometimes only detected by means that may violate civil rights.
C. Our Government has violated civil rights for the sake of national security during several important events in our history.

  • William L. Riordan, Plunkitt of Tammany Hall (orig. 1905)