ROSE GREAVES, A K-U PROFESSOR EMERITA OF HISTORY, HAS TAUGHT MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY TO SOLDIERS AT WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY AND FORT LEAVENWORTH'S U-S ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE. SHE WILL TEACH A CLASS IN MIDDLE EASTERN HISTORY DURING THE SPRING 2003 SEMESTER AT K-U.

SHE LAST VISITED CENTRAL ASIA TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SHE MADE A THREE-WEEK TRIP TO PAKISTAN. SHE ALSO VISITED IRAN THAT SAME YEAR ON AN EIGHT-DAY VISA.

THE EIGHT-YEAR IRAN-IRAQ WAR, THE 1991 GULF WAR AND AN ECONOMIC EMBARGO HAVE CRIPPLED IRAQ'S ECONOMY. BUT IF HUSSEIN IS REMOVED FROM POWER, GREAVES SAYS, IRAQ HAS SEVERAL KEY RESOURCES THAT COULD STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HELP IRAQ'S RECOVERY.
GREAVES: "Iraq has, on the positive side, some really good assets. One, they have water, and two, they have oil ... about a tenth of the world's reserves. And three, they have an intelligent and vigorous people." (15 sec.)

GREAVES SAYS INTERNAL RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC DIVISIONS, AND THREATS FROM NEIGHBORS INCLUDING IRAN, SAUDI ARABIA AND RUSSIA COULD UNDERMINE IRAQ'S CHANCES OF ESTABLISHING A STABLE GOVERNMENT. BUT SHE SAYS ANY OUTCOME IS BETTER THAN A COUNTRY RULED BY SADDAM HUSSEIN.
GREAVES: "I know that if it were run right, Iraq could be a showplace and a place where people would want to live. If it's not run right, then it's going to be a terrible mess. It can't be worse than Saddam Hussein. Certainly getting rid of him can do nothing but good for the region." (18 sec.)

GREAVES SAYS ONCE HUSSEIN IS REMOVED, SHE FAVORS A U-S MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ SIMILAR TO THE GOVERNMENT IN POST-WAR GERMANY AFTER WORLD WAR TWO. SHE SAYS DESTRUCTION OF WEAPONS WILL BE A KEY FUNCTION OF THAT GOVERNMENT.
GREAVES: "In the early stages, I would hope there would be an American military government, which actually ran the place, to clean up all the horrible weapons. What we try to do is keep our hands off internal affairs." (16 sec.)

IN THE EVENT OF A WAR WITH IRAQ, THERE ARE OPPOSITION GROUPS THAT COULD HELP. BUT GREAVES SAYS THE U-S SHOULDN'T EXPECT THE KIND OF SUPPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE NORTHERN ALLIANCE COALITION THAT WAS SO CRUCIAL IN THE OVERTHROW OF THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN.
GREAVES: "I don't think they compare with the Northern Alliance that we were able to use in Afghanistan; that is, they don't have the charismatic leadership and they don't have the background of military experience that the Northern Alliance had." (19 sec.)

GREAVES SAYS OPPOSITION IN THE MIDEAST TO THE WAR EFFORT WILL BE MINIMAL IF THE WAR ENDS QUICKLY.
GREAVES: "If we're not winning and if it gets prolonged and there are lots of bodies, then the street will erupt. But if we do it decisively and quickly, you'd be surprised at how many people will be on our side." (12 sec.)