Weber State College Comment, October 1987, Page 5 Selling Arms to Iran foreign policy blow, |severe prof. says | A merica’s arms-for-hostages sale to Iran will hurt US. credibility abroad more than anything else that the Iran/Contra hearings revealed, a Weber State expert on ‘| foreign policy said. “The president came out so strongly with other countries against selling arms to terrorist nations, yet all the while we were doing it. That must have really burned them,” said Dr. Nancy Haanstad, a political science pro- '| fessor and an authority on international relations. “That act will totally cut confidence,” she added. ‘| Dr. Haanstad said that, as far as U.S. foreign policy is ‘| | "| concerned, there couldn’t have been a worse combination ofevents than for the United States to sell arms to Iran and use the proceeds to fund the contras of Nicaragua. Most other countries favor a less militaristic approach to solving Central America’s problems. “There must be some serious misgivings abroad about the intelligence of American leadership,” she said. “For the U.S. this is the last thing we needed. It portrays a kind of rag-tag approach.” America’s foreign policy has taken a beating ever since the Vietnam days, Dr. Haanstad said. Prior to that there was a feeling between presidents and the congress that foreign policy was the executive branch’s responsibility, and though there was congressional cooperation, it was mainly the president who made international decisions. Butafter Vietnam, congress became skeptical of presidential actions and asserted itself into the process. The U.S. constitution had always allowed that to happen, but up until then congress had never exercised that right, she said. “Now the president is not as free to state policies on his own,” she said. That restricts a president in dealing with other nations, but it also helps prevent anyone from making the “incredibly stupid” mistakes that damage foreign policy, she said. armstoterrorist nations, yet all the while we were doing it. That must have really burned them.” Dr. Nancy Haanstad And the fact that White House officials lied to congress about the diversion of funds to the contras doesn’t help matters on the domestic level either, she said. “The feeling now is that congress is going to have to be extremely suspicious, to be on the White House’s back all the time. What kind of working relationship is that?” she asked. “There is going to be more perusal on the part of Weber State enters teaching agreementwith Toyota addition to six vehicles. Students in the college’s two and four year automotive programs will learn on the new equipment, be eligible for tuition and tool scholarships, and earn credit toward Toyota Technician Certification. The students willalso gain work experience in a Toyota dealer- ~— 0 WeEZ. ey 7 — ee Fee ¥, \\ i | l 4 Al :SF7) ] \ cs re Ce uo Anec= ‘ UD LIA A Lo RO C4 QL | technology program is identified by professional organizations as one of the top three of its kind in the United States, college officials said. Earlier in the year the college’s automotive program entered a similar agreement with General Motors. 3 one of the best training sites we’ve encountered, and we look forward to the college generating some entry-level professionals,” said Bill Porento, Toyota’s national technical training manager. “‘We’re not saying that when they leave the college they’ll be full-fledged master mechanics, but they’ll be able to make a good living,” Porento added. Weber State’s automotive engineering \t $60,000 and $70,000 worth of materials in ship. The Japanese-based car company sold a million automobiles in the U.S. last year, and Toyota officials estimate that in the next three years 11 million Toyota products will run on U.S. highways. “The need is for technicians,” Bracken said. “Cars are really complicated anymore. You can’t just have a garage mechanic fix them.” “Wecouldn’t, by ourselves, keep on the cutting edge of technology,” noted Pres. Nadauld. “This partnership is a tremendous example of what we need to do. We’re going to benefit greatly as a college.” Toyota officials signed a one-year contract with Weber State, but their intention is toward a long-term agreement, they said. The auto company plans on having no more than 50 such training sites throughout the United States. In addition to acting as student training centers, the sites will also serve as regional training locations for dealership mechanics. “‘We’ ve identified this school as having ( Weber State has become the 35th U.S. college to enter into an agreement with Toyota that will benefit both the college and the car company. Toyota selected Weber State to become part of that company’s Technical Education Network, which provides training materials, automobiles and spare parts to the college to help train future auto technicians. “Between now and 1990 we will need 3,5000 additional technicians,” said Hal Bracken, Toyota’s vice president for parts, service, customer relations and U.S. products, at a ribbon cutting ceremony held in August in the Technical Education building. “We need well-educated people,” he added. The college will receive between \) | “The president came out sostrongly with other countries against selling congress in terms of foreign policy. Things will be worse in the sense that there will be a minimum level of cooperation,” Dr. Haanstad added, and the resulting in-house bickering will create both an unstable foreign policy approach and concern among allies, she said. “‘Where’s the coherency? Where’s the long range policy? We look wobbly to others.” The affair could certainly spell the end of any U.S. aid to the Nicaraguan contras, Dr. Haanstad said, but beyond that the immediate congressional influence on foreign policy will probably be limited to “screaming and kicking after the fact.” “Congress tends to hide behind the president on foreign policy matters. Congressional leaders don’t like the high profile that comes with foreign policy decisions. They don’t get elected that way,” she said. A congressional vote for a delay on the re-flagging of Kuwaiti ships in the Persian Gulf, for example, failed, even though the vote was in a predominately Democratic senate, and came in the middle of the Iran/Contra hearings. “Congress puts the rubber stamp on foreign policy until something goes wrong, then they want to kick and scream,” Dr. Haanstad said. The president’s problems with most foreign policy matters would be solved if he would simply inform congress, Dr. Haanstad said, a step President (Ronald) Reagan has taken in the wake of the Iran/Contra hearings. “In most cases congress has traditionally gone along with what the President wants to do,” she said. “It seems, though, as if we’ve lost something. Things are slipping away fast. It’s time for our leaders to stop and look at where we really want to go. Right now all we’re doing is stewing around in circles,” Dr. Haanstad said. NY)is ‘| “It’s easier for other nations to deal with a president who has more power in his hands, but the Iran sale of arms and the funding to the contras causes a great deal of concern. Yes, the president is hurt by the fact that he has to explain to congress, but most nations cringe when they see our stand on Iran and the contras,” Dr. Haanstad said.