Las Cruces —
Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency and the CIA, spoke about issues related to cybersecurity and the rapidly changing face of the Internet during the Domenici conference last week, but a group of New Mexico State University students said he had no right to be on campus.
NMSU Aggie Solidarity is a new student organization that seeks to raise the level of progressive political consciousness at the university. NMSU student Alan Dicker, a member of the organization, passed out leaflets decrying Hayden’s presence to conference participants outside the Las Cruces convention center.
“As leader of the CIA and NSA, Michael Hayden represents the worst of American imperialist power and that’s why we’re opposed to having him here,” he said. “We’re particularly concerned with the massive numbers of civilian casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Dicker’s organization accused Hayden of helping establish the U.S. Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program, which uses UAVs like the Predator to conduct surveillance and combat missions, which the organization believes is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The CIA denies the civilian casualty accusation stating that since 2010, no civilians have been killed in Predator attacks. The group also accuses Hayden of publicly defending the use of torture.
Garrey Carruthers, dean of NMSU’s College of Business, director of NMSU’s Domenici Institute and former New Mexico governor, said members of NMSU Aggie Solidarity may not agree with the messenger, but it was important to hear what Hayden had to say.
“Clearly, cybersecurity is on everyone’s mind,” he said.
“Everything is in cyberspace, and keeping it secure has to be a priority. When experts like Michael Hayden weigh in on the subject it’s important to listen. It’s also important for the voices of our students to be heard, and they did it in a proper and respectful way.”
