Former Defense Secretary Speaks in Springfield

Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen tells a Springfield audience he doesn’t like the phrase “war on terror.” Cohen says the use of the word “war” implies you have an enemy you can identify and that there’s an end in sight. He adds that, like it or not, the United States will be living with terrorism for a long time. Cohen expects the U.S. to get hit again and says the country must take reasonable precautions. Cohen says what “reasonable precautions” means is up to Americans and he leaves those attending his lecture at Missouri State University with some questions to ponder, such as “How do we defeat terrorism?” And, “Where do we go from here?” Cohen is sure of one thing. He says the country must end its division and stop the politics. Cohen says there’s a real penalty to be paid if the country remains divided.