In an attempt to understand the complexities of human rights issues in the post-September 11 political climate, Miami University students are invited to attend a speech by retired U.S. Foreign Service officer, Michael Houlahan.

Houlahan, who has more than 28 years experience in foreign service, will present a lecture, "Human Rights in the Age of Terrorism," Nov. 13, in which he will discuss the blurred line of human rights legislation in light of the current political situation.

Since September 11, the question of human rights specifically for detainees has been the topic of numerous pieces of legislation, most recently the Military Commissions Act (MCA). This law explicitly defines that habeas corpus rights are denied to non-U.S. citizens in U.S. courts, meaning that foreign individuals can be detained for a limitless period of time.

"Houlahan will be speaking about the controversy over whether we can protect human rights, and especially defendants' rights, in this post-September 11 world," said Jeanne Hey, director of the international studies program.Jennifer Schuett, a senior

international studies major and a member of Students for Peace and Justice (SPJ), organized the lecture. Schuett hopes to raise awareness about global issues such as human rights.

"As a part of the American Foreign Service Association, Houlahan has an experienced and informed view on U.S. foreign policy and will discuss this topic, which has been in the news recently relating to Guantanamo (Bay) and Iraq," Schuett said.

Hey said the lecture centers on a major debate in global politics. According to Hey, the Bush administration is on one side of the debate, advocating the need for the use of extreme measures and tactics to capture terrorists. On the other side of the debate are human right activists, who say you cannot give up basic rights and due process no matter what.

Charles Stevens, faculty member in both the international studies program and department of American studies, said the debate is over how to stop terrorism.

"(We need to ask), 'What is causing people to use terrorism as a tactic?'" Stevens said.

He also said terrorism is difficult to define. The Bush administration defines terrorism as nonstate sponsored acts of terrorism, however some people view the war in Iraq and U.S. interrogation means as terrorism. Because there is no universal definition of terrorism, it is hard to agree on a method for stopping it, Stevens explained.

Progressives and human rights advocates tend to take the view that the U.S. must fight terrorism or risk losing its legitimacy, Stevens said. They believe habeas corpus must be maintained no matter who is on trial.

Stevens said the conservative school of thought believes the end justifies the means when it comes to stopping terrorism.

"The U.S. already embodies a set of universal human principles, and terrorism, as we define it, is the antithesis to this," Stevens said.

Stevens said some conservatives believe a short-term loss of democratic freedom when investigating suspected terrorists is worth the long-term gains of stopping terrorism.

Schuett said the lecture would provide a forum for students to learn about and discuss these different points of view.

"With all of the controversy surrounding the use of torture, Houlahan is offering an explanation of official U.S. policy and the possibility for students to discuss and ask questions," Schuett said.

Hey said that the issue of human rights, especially with respect to U.S. foreign policy, is an issue of significant domestic and international concern.

"This is one of the major issues, not only in U.S. foreign policy but also in U.S. domestic policy," Hey said. "It is also one of the principal issues that other countries are looking to the U.S. for leadership right now, so it couldn't be more critical to current events."

Hey says students should be interested in coming to this lecture because U.S. policy and image in the world are very important. Schuett hopes students will take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about relevant global issues and U.S. policies.

"The U.S. government is supposed to represent its citizens to the world and the policies of our government are to reflect national values," Schuett said. "It is important for students to understand what the U.S. government is doing around the world, especially when it comes to topics such as torture, which is not often discussed."

The lecture is free, open to the public and will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, in 009 Laws Hall. The lecture is co-sponsored by the international studies program and SPJ. Houlahan will also be speaking to students who are interested in careers in the U.S. Foreign Service at 3 p.m. Nov.13, in Art 100.