'U' professor signs new book

Through compliments and criticism, political science Prof. Raymond Tanter did not lose his unyielding teaching attitude at a public signing of his new book last night.

Upon seeing a student at the signing at Borders Books & Music, he immediately asked about his paper assignment in Political Science 498.

LSA junior Greg Milne was up to the task though, responding promptly with "I'm writing about the prospect of war between the U.S. and Iraq."

Tanter eyed Milne, crossed his arms and smiled.

A former adviser for former President Ronald Reagan, Tanter recently completed a book titled "Rogue Regimes: Terrorism and Proliferation," which he said grew out of an e-mail group between him and a few students three years ago.

SARA STILLMAN/Daily Political science Prof. Raymond Tanter signs copies of his new book following a heated discussion of foreign policy last night at Borders Books & Music.

"The book came out of my teaching," Tanter said. "I believe teaching and research go hand-in-hand."

The students in the group, and others who were interested, aided Tanter in the research for the book, by writing papers, making phone calls and talking with Tanter about their ideas.

"Often times research assistants do the work but don't get the credit," Tanter said. In this book, Tanter said, students received printed acknowledgment for their work.

A couple of students worked with Tanter on each of the six chapters. In addition to the acknowledgment in the book, students received academic credit and some even received money for their work.

Student input in the book was very important, Tanter said. He said student inclusion in class discussion and beyond is part of his teaching philosophy.

"I don't give sermons on the mount," Tanter said. "Acquisition and dissemination of knowledge are two sides of the same coin.

"Students are not pawns in my class," Tanter said.

During his 31-year career working with students, Tanter has taken just one break - a four-year hiatus to serve as a senior staff member on Reagan's National Security Council.

"I outranked Oliver North. He would do anything. I always saw him in front of the shredder," Tanter joked.

Tanter said he was replaced by North, the central figure in the arms for hostages scandal in the 1980s, for Reagan's second term.

"They sent me back to Michigan," Tanter said.

Tanter's book discusses the six rogue states he believes are the most threatening to the United States today: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lybia, Cuba and North Korea.

The current situation regarding Iraqi weapons inspections is not the most dangerous threat to American sovereignty at this time, Tanter argues.

"Saddam (Hussein) invaded Kuwait, so people know him; he goes above the fold," Tanter said. "But he can be handled."

Tanter argues in the book that Iran is the more dangerous of these two states.

"Iran is a more dangerous threat, but only the U.S. sees the threat. No one is paying attention to this," Tanter said.

Syria and its leader Hafez Al-Assad are also an important players in the world political game today, Tanter said.

"Assad killed 12,000 of his own people in a weekend," Tanter said. Syria "deserves categorization as a rogue state and it deserves publication."

Tanter held a book signing last night at Borders Books & Music, where some people questioned his views on U.S. policy toward these and other nations. But Tanter defended his book, saying, "American ideals are the most important factor in military intervention abroad."

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