Echoing Martin Luther King Jr.'s opposition to the Vietnam War, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin spoke against the Iraq war in a speech at Brandeis University.
"The world stands aghast at the path we have taken," Levin said last night, quoting King from words he wrote in 1967 protesting the Vietnam War. "Tonight I'd like to focus on the sources of American power that Dr. King valued the most ... and that's our ideas and values."
It was standing room only as hundreds of students swarmed upon the Shapiro Campus Center to hear Levin speak. As the center's auditorium filled, droves of students gathered near the cafeteria to watch Levin on a large television.
A senior senator from Michigan, Levin is a leading investigator of human rights abuses by the U.S. military at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo.
During his speech, Levin used King's sentiments as a springboard to discuss a variety of issues affecting foreign policy. What he described as the abuse of political detainees under American control and other countries' perception of America topped his list.
"We must continue to press for a fair process for detainees," he said. "We must also insist on accountability for abuses that have occurred...that means establishing responsibility for Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo."
Levin said America's standing in the world has taken "a nosedive" since "the world embraced America's plight," following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
"Today our struggle against extremists is being undermined by how America is seen in the world," he said. "America at its best is a beacon of human rights and liberty ... but much of the world sees us in a very different way when we fail to stand up to the liberties that we profess."
With his Republican colleague, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Levin was awarded the Four Freedoms medal last year for his efforts to reassert the Senate's role in foreign and military affairs.
Levin, who is also the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, also criticized the Bush administration.
"There's no accountability in this administration," he said.
Last night's program also included a brief panel discussion with Mari Fitzduff, a professor and participant in the Northern Ireland peace talks, Guy Raz, a former defense correspondent for National Public Radio and Ibrahim Sundiata, professor of African-American studies. The three invited guests briefly questioned Levin or commented on his speech.
"It was very clear to Martin Luther King there was a connection to national morality and international morality," Sundiata commented.
The event was also moderated by Charles Radin, former Middle East correspondent of the Boston Globe and included a question-and-answer session with Brandeis students.
One Brandeis student asked Levin how the country can better support soldiers returning from Iraq.
"As we look to restore morality in the world, I want to know what we can do to restore morality for veterans coming back (to America)," he asked Levin.
Levin said he is currently working on the "Wounded Warriors Legislation," to improve the health care system of soldiers returning from the Middle East.
"The American people are divided on the war, they are not divided on supporting our troops and giving them what they need," he said. "We have passed and the president will sign, the (legislation) once it gets to his desk...I believe we're going to put pressure on this administration to bring most of our troops home this year."
Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.
