NIU students and faculty gained a firmer grasp on economic, political and ecological issues of the Gulf War after a discussion Monday night.

Marketing Professor Nessim Hanna, international management Professor Luis Flores and Tom Rogers, professor of international marketing, offered expert insight to about 30 students in an hour-long discussion of the war issues.

The discussion was sponsored by AIESEC, an international association of students in economics and business management, and held in McMurray Auditorium.

“A lot of people felt these were pertinent issues with today’s events,” said Donna Serino, president of AIESEC.

“We felt that expert knowledge would benefit students,” Serino said.

Economic issues discussed at the forum included the rebuilding of Kuwait, the war’s effect on American weapons sales to the Middle East and the impact on the oil market.

“It has been estimated to take $100 billion to rebuild Kuwait,” said Hanna, originally from Egypt. He said 60 percent of that sum will benefit United States revenues because most of the rebuilding accounts will go to the U.S.

The U.S. weapon revenues will also improve, Rogers added.

“These high-tech weapons have now been tried and are successful,” Rogers said.

Flores said he thinks improved U.S. relations with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia also will boost weapon sales.

“Countries other than the U.S. base their purchases on relations, not on money,” Flores said. “Now the people from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will look at the U.S. as a partner…our products will be looked at in a new light.”

“It’s what’s called the ‘Arab generosity’,” Hanna added. “If you’re a friend they’ll buy from you even if your products aren’t as good as everyone else’s.”

One of the benefits these economic issues lead to is many future job opportunities for college graduates, Hanna said.

Many of the ecological problems associated with the war have been exaggerated, Hanna said.

“The oil slick is smaller than expected and it should only take between six months to a year to put out the well fires,” he said.

The ecological disasters in the gulf, however, are still a loss to the entire world, Hanna said.

“It’s money that is going to be coming out of our pockets,” Hanna said.

Other topics of discussion included the background of the Arab and Israeli conflict and the war’s effects on the European economy.