Express & Echo, 23.03.07 Exeter peace campaigners protested outside the city’s university during a visit by a controversial American government figure heavily involved in the Iraq war.

Stephen Cambone, formerly intelligence chief at the Pentagon, was one of secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld’s closest aides.

When he came to the city yesterday to help Exeter University academics with a research project, he faced a crowd of Stop the War campaigners.

Dr Cambone was closely involved with US policies on prisoners taken during the Iraq war and peace activists allege he condoned the abuse of prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

Dr Cambone arrived for the seminar in the Amory Building just after 2.30pm, in the vice-chancellor’s car.

Anti-Iraq war campaigner Richard Bradbury said the group had been told about the visit by an anonymous caller.

He criticised the university for not allowing members of the public to attend the meeting.

He said: “I would have liked to debate ethical issues with him because I don’t agree with many of the things he is associated with.

“He shouldn’t have been invited to speak here.

“It’s not about what he has said but what he has done.”

History lecturer Richard Overy was invited to the seminar but chose not to go when he heard Dr Cambone had been invited.

“I don’t want to debate with someone like this,” he said.

“The issue is not freedom of speech but about Cambone himself and the things he is responsible for.

“If anyone chose to go to the seminar that means they endorse him.

“There is nothing they can get from him that they couldn’t get from another source.”

Professor Overy also criticised the insensitive way the university had handled Dr Cambone’s visit and kept the meeting closed.

Mohamed Omri, a lecturer in the university’s Arabic and Islamic Studies Centre, said he was upset others at the university had not been able to meet with Dr Cambone.

Dr Cambone was at the university to attend a closed seminar as part of a research project considering military intervention.

A statement from Exeter University said: “In hosting Dr Stephen Cambone, the University of Exeter does not condone or condemn his position. Proper research listens to all sides.

“Universities have a responsibility to ensure freedom of speech on campus.” At the time of sending this email, none of the readers have commented on this story on the website. Be the first reader to comment on this story.