[media-credit name=’BEN CLASSON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The University of Wisconsin welcomed a well-known conservative author to the Memorial Union Tuesday night with both rave reviews and outbursts of opposition.

Dinesh D'Souza, author on numerous political books including "The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and its Responsibility for 9/11," discussed radical Islam in the Middle East, the Iraqi War and America's role in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

D'Souza's was a guest of the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by numerous campus organizations, including College Republicans, Chadbourne Residential College and the University Bookstore.

The main subject of D'Souza's discussion was the United States and its foreign relations policies.

"I think it's odd that under one hand, America magnetically draws immigrants, fascinated young people on every continent," D'Souza said. "And yet at the same time there is a sort of anger toward America."

When D'Souza addressed the War in Iraq, he said he retrospectively disagreed with President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq, but conceded, "no president or statesmen ever got to make a decision in retrospect."

The only way America can lose the war in Iraq is "to lose it in the American mind," D'Souza added.

"In Iraq, our goal is to have an elected government strong enough that it can protect its country and its liberty," he said.

D'Souza criticized opponents of the war by describing them as a "whole camp" of people who benefit Osama bin Laden by encouraging the withdrawal of American forces, essentially doing "the work for him."

In addition, D'Souza said the war in Iraq does not concern terrorism, but said it is a "war against radical Islam."

Considering 3,000 Americans have died in Iraq since the invasion commenced in 2003, D'Souza said, "you have to measure the loss against what you are accomplishing."

He also said coming to UW was exciting in part because of its liberal reputation.

"I sort of relish particularly going to elite, liberal campuses where you've got real smart students that don't agree with me," D'Souza said. "I feel that that is where my ideas are most needed, [and] what I'm going to do is challenge assumptions and force people to defend their views."

Although audience members had contrasting political beliefs, most agreed D'Souza's lecture included interesting arguments and offered alternative perspectives.

"I didn't agree with him on everything, but I think he had a lot of interesting things to say," UW sophomore Josh Herman said. "He raised some interesting points, and I liked the fact that he wasn't a puppet for either side of the debate."

UW freshman and College Republicans member Lexi Meleski said she felt D'Souza was an effective speaker because he related relevant issues to current politics.

"I thought he was very educational, bright and intellectual," Meleski said. "He stated both sides, liberal and conservative."

Others disagreed with D'Souza's arguments, saying he hadn't addressed all the issues thoroughly and at one point, a student exited the theater by staging his own walk out.

"His entire argument is weakened by economics and the chains of things," UW sophomore Annie Vulpas said. "He over-simplified everything."

The Distinguished Lecture Series will host National Public Radio journalist Sarah Vowell Feb. 21.