Former U.S. Ambassador gives his view on Bush administration

On Tuesday afternoon, more than 200 students, faculty members and government officials were in attendance for the sixth annual Carolyn Freeze Baynes Memorial Lecture on Social Justice, held in Hendrix Theatre.

This year's speaker was Joseph C. Wilson IV, a former U.S. ambassador, who gave a lecture on "Speaking Truth to Power and the Consequences."

Wilson was the acting U.S. Ambassador in Iraq throughout Operation Desert Shield.

In 2002, Wilson was asked to investigate reports that Saddam Hussein was attempting to acquire uranium from Niger, an action considered to be a threat to the safety of the United States.

Wilson, as well as two other Americans and a Frenchman, reported that there was no truth to the claims. During the State of the Union address that same year, President Bush said, "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa," stating that the information was confirmed by the British.

On Bush's 57th birthday, Wilson publicly stated his investigation in the form of an article, saying that Bush exaggerated the threat of Iraqi nuclear weapons developments. Eight days later, a covert CIA officer was revealed by White House and State Department officials as retaliation, Wilson said. The CIA officer was Wilson's wife.

Wilson asked those in attendance to raise their hands if they knew the name of the person that leaked the information regarding his wife's position in the CIA. No one raised their hand.

He went on to ask if there was anybody that knew his wife's name. Again, no hands were raised.

"How is it that everyone here knows the name of a covert CIA officer but no one knows who put the lie into the president's mouth [regarding Iraq's threat of nuclear weapons]?" he asked.

Wilson's lecture was a recount of the events in question and reaffirmation of the things he did in his duties as an ambassador for the United States.

"There is no more solemn decision than to put innocent citizens in harm's way," Wilson said. "We failed them."

While he calls his battle with the Bush administration a "personal" one, Wilson reported that he had enormous credibility with George H.W. Bush, who referred to Wilson as "a true American hero" for Wilson's efforts to free more than 100 American hostages in Iraq in 1990.

"My aunt sided with [George W.] Bush," Wilson joked. "She is no longer on my Christmas card list."

Soon after his wife's identity was brought to light, he spent the next years of his life trying to salvage his image as many questioned his patriotism.

What followed was a constant barrage of appearances on mainstream media channels.

"I spent time on every low-life talk show," Wilson said. "Appearing on Bill O' Reilly is not the way I want to spend my evenings."

Upon the completion of his lecture, Wilson was presented a plaque from the Student Activities Board in recognition of being selected as the speaker for the annual lecture on social justice.

"[The lecture] was very good," said Emily Agler, adviser to SAB. "From a personal view and on politics, it was helpful and entertaining to the students."

During the question and answer portion of the lecture, junior political science major, Paulo Martinez, asked Wilson's thoughts on Obama's administration and if they were on the right track in fixing the situation in Iraq.

"It's important to have a leader focused on reconciliation … and civility," Wilson said.

Martinez agreed.

"Dividing the country is not the way to go about it," Martinez said. "The key point he stressed was that dividing Iraq would destroy Iraqi sovereignty."

Wilson's answer to a question about his thoughts on the Patriot Act got a laugh out of the audience.

"I was told that I was one of 25,000 Americans whose phone was being tapped," he said. "That was a waste of taxpayers' money because anything I have to say to my government, I will say, and say loudly."

Wilson resides with his wife and two children in Santa Fe, N.M.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.