The brewing possibility of war in Iraq bears striking resemblance to the horrors experienced in the Vietnam War, author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam told a crowd of about 200 last night.

The open forum, held in Schwab Auditorium, was the first of two sessions for the fall Foster Conference of Distinguished Writers. Halberstam -- one of the nation's most vocal critics of America's efforts in Vietnam while working for The New York Times in the 1960s -- spoke on a broad range of topics, most notably the war on terrorism.

The United States, Halberstam said, cannot assume it can solely mend the problems of mankind, especially when it comes to snuffing out the threat of terrorism.

"Events are in the saddle and ride mankind," he said, quoting writer Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Halberstam said, "There's a danger in believing that American power can do things that it can't."

There are signs present in the current conflict with Iraq that cause Halberstam to be "cautionary." He said Americans should not overestimate the power of the U.S. government to control world events.

"Once you use the power, you've lost the threat ... and if your enemy finds they can live through the threat, then your power has dropped incalculably," he said.

Halberstam also addressed sentiment that the media's involvement helped contribute to the bloody outcome of Vietnam. At one point, he and a fellow colleague were labeled "traitors to our country [the United States]."

"One of the great lies of people critical of the free press [in Vietnam] is that it was a press struggle," he said. "By and large, people who were there came away with the same sense of misgiving and melancholia that reporters did."

From a very young age, Halberstam said he knew where he wanted to go in the competitive world of journalism.

"I had a very shrewd sense early on that there weren't a lot of good jobs, but I knew the good jobs were very good," he said.

So determined was he to gain experience, Halberstam stepped foot into the Southern United States during the heart of the civil rights strife in the 1960s. At the time, his work in Mississippi and Tennessee was incredibly dangerous, he said.

"It was terrifying ... [especially] when you're scared on native soil," Halberstam said, noting that some nights he was forced to drive 60 miles away from town, simply because he feared for his well-being.

"When you know that the police ... are aligned with the racists and share the same DNA as them, that's scary," he said.

One thing that continues to amaze Halberstam is the personality of the American people.

"As a writer, you really depend on the nobility of ordinary people," he said.

Halberstam received a warm welcome from those in attendance.

"David Halberstam is truly a legendary figure in American journalism," said Gene Foreman, journalism professor and former managing editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Matt Valkovic (freshman-international politics and economics) said he appreciated Halberstam's advice to always carry a book around, no matter where.

"It's nice to hear such an accomplished writer speak," he said.

"He was very informative and had a good message for the students."