In light of statements made by Bush administration officials insinuating the possibility of an invasion of Iran by either the United States or Israel, students voiced mixed opinions about any such invasion in interviews last week.

“Since we’re fighting terrorists and Iraq at the same time,” America should just stay out of any military campaign against Iran, Zackary Du, junior in accounting, said. “Right now just isn’t a good time to make more enemies.”

Others supported an Iran invasion.

“Yeah, I’d support it … I’m an advocate for what Bush is doing in the Middle East,” Michael Roethle, junior in aerospace engineering, said. “I support the Bush administration for stepping up and trying to do something about terrorism” he said.

President Bush identified Iran, Iraq and North Korea as the “axis of evil” in his State of the Union Address in 2001. Since then, North Korea has become even more isolated by the international community and has announced that it has nuclear weapons, Iraq was subject to American invasion in 2003 and with Russian assistance, Iran has been pursing a nuclear program that is allegedly for civilian energy purposes.

Britain, France and Germany have been engaged in talks with Iran for the past two years to open up to International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of their facilities and to abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. The United States has refused to enter into any direct talks with Iran.

When asked at a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London if the United States has plans for an invasion of Iran, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “the question is simply not on the agenda at this point in time,” as reported by The Washington Post. She went on to note, however, that no options were off the table.

Some students said they hope that another war is off the table.

“If possible, I’d be even more against (an invasion of Iran) than I was against the invasion of Afghanistan,” Mary Ross, senior in chemistry, said. She said she could foresee that once the Bush administration got started in Afghanistan, it would keep going. Furthermore, actions against Iraq and Iran are attempts by the administration to divert public attention from the ailing economy, she said.

Ross was not alone in her views.

“No, that’s it, no,” Ryan Watterson, senior in broadcasting, said. “I don’t want to be drafted … I don’t want to go to war over something they don’t have enough information on.”

Stephine Hembree, junior in Asian studies, said, “You can’t fight terror with terror. It just seems pointless and dividing.”

The Bush administration does have support in this area from some students, though.

“If he feels it’s good for the country, I’d support it,” Daniel D. Baker, senior in economics, said. Baker expressed support for an invasion if there was a threat that needed to be neutralized, but would have reservations about a nation-building exercise.

The administration should be trusted to act on the information it has, some students said.

“Obviously, the government knows more than I do, and I trust Bush and his decisions,” Dani Huff, sophomore in communications, said.

The safety and security of the United States is the primary reason to support another war in the Mideast, Jessica Davis, senior in marketing said.

“I feel like if the United States is threatened, then it has a right to defend itself, for my safety and everyone else’s,” she said.

Others agreed.

“I believe that any threat to the United States, such as that, (Bush) has made it clear that we will not tolerate it,” Trent Ellenburg, senior in psychology, said. “If it’s a measure to make the world more free of terrorism,” I’d support it, he said.

In a show of support for the administration’s efforts in the Middle East, Michael Roethle expressed interest in joining the military in some capacity.

“I have considered” joining the Air Force either through the ROTC program in school or entering service after graduation, he said.

Roethle’s brother expressed the opposite view.

“No, I wouldn’t really support an invasion,” Christopher Roethle, senior in English and geography, said. “ The Bush administration has probably lost all of its 9/11 goodwill. I don’t think it would be as easy as going into Iraq, but then again, I’m not a big fan of the Bush administration.”