Planned February tour may become first victim of war against Iraq.
By: Jeff Milgram
The Princeton High School Choir trip to Budapest and Vienna in February may become the first victim of a war against Iraq.
"We’re revisiting the trips, particularly the impending trips," Princeton schools Superintendent Clair Sheff Kohn said Monday. "We’re obviously watching international affairs."
She said a decision to go or not to go will be made by the end of this week.
With talk of a war with Iraq, the twin suicide bombings in Tel Aviv and the North Korean nuclear weapons dispute, the news around the world is not too promising, Dr. Kohn said.
"As with post-9/11, we try to make the decision as close to the trip as we can," Dr. Kohn said.
Under a United Nations Security Council resolution passed in November, UN inspectors are in Iraq to establish whether it still has chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or the means to deliver them. Iraq has denied having such weapons, but the United States and Britain have accused it of hiding banned arms.
President George W. Bush and other U.S. officials have threatened to attack Iraq and topple Mr. Hussein’s regime if it does not eliminate all weapons of mass destruction as required by UN resolutions adopted after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Military experts have speculated that an attack, if it comes, would take place in February, before the temperatures in Iraq would make the wearing of protective gear uncomfortable.
The choral trip is scheduled to run from Feb. 15-22.
"It’s unfortunate, but we may have to cancel the trip," Dr. Kohn said.
Dr. Kohn said she would delay a decision on the fate of two trips scheduled in May by John Witherspoon Middle School classes until later. The middle school’s French class is scheduled to travel to Quebec, Canada, May 23-26 and the school’s eighth-grade class trip to Washington is planned for May 28-30.
Dr. Kohn said she would welcome input. "We do like to hear from folks," she said. "Ultimately, the decision will fall on me."
The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District has held no discussions on canceling upcoming class trips, according to Gerri Hutner, the district’s public affairs officer.
The Princeton Regional School District suspended field trips, especially to metropolitan areas, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks and did not approve any trips until December 2001.

