GSC speaker: U.S. going about it the wrong way in Iraq

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POSTED: Monday, October 22, 2007
FROM BLOG: WATANDOST - Inside News About Pakistan and its Neighborhood

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GSC speaker: U.S. going about it the wrong way in Iraq
By Jerry Gunn
AccessNorthGa.com

OAKWOOD - A Harvard scholar from Boston who saw Middle Eastern conflict first hand as a Pakistani policeman told Gainesville State College students Wednesday that promoting democracy provides a path to resolving violence in the region but the U.S. is going about it the wrong way in Iraq.

"You cannot go militarily occupy a land and then enforce a constitution according to your wishes which is relevant to your area or your country," Hassan Abbas said.

Abbas added that Iraq is a diverse, divided country with leadership Iraqis don't trust because they feel it is Western-influenced and not genuine.

Abbas said the U.S. should leave a small force for security in Iraq but remove its military presence.

Abbas, considered an expert on South Asia and Pakistan-Afghanistan terrorist organizations, said not to judge all Muslims by the actions of a few.