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2005 Ron Paul Chapter 113 Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website. Congressional Record [.PDF] U.S. Interfering In Middle East 26 October 2005 2005 Ron Paul 113:1 Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 2005 Ron Paul 113:2 I want to reiterate that the portion of the bill that deals with our ability to pursue our space program I strongly endorse. It is the portion that deals with Syria that was added on at the last minute that I am concerned about. 2005 Ron Paul 113:3 I want to say that portion of the bill, I believe, further destabilizes the Middle East and we should move with great caution. We have been warned. We should be prepared for a broader war in the Middle East as plans are being laid for the next U.S.-led regime change in Syria. 2005 Ron Paul 113:4 A U.N. report of the death of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri elicited this comment from a senior U.S. policy maker: “Out of a tragedy comes an extraordinary strategic opportunity.” This statement reflects the continued neoconservative, Machiavellian influence on our foreign policy. 2005 Ron Paul 113:5 The “opportunity” refers to the long- held neoconservative plan for regime change in Syria, similar to what was carried out in Iraq. 2005 Ron Paul 113:6 This plan for remaking the Middle East has been around for a long time. Just as 9/11 served the interests of those who longed for changes in Iraq, the sensationalism surrounding Hariri’s death is being used to advance plans to remove Assad. 2005 Ron Paul 113:7 Congress already has assisted these plans by authorizing the sanctions placed on Syria last year. Harmful sanctions, as applied to Iraq in the 1990s, inevitably represent a major step toward war since they bring havoc to so many innocent people. Syria already has been charged with developing weapons of mass destruction based on no more evidence than was available when Iraq was similarly charged. 2005 Ron Paul 113:8 Syria has been condemned for not securing its borders by the same U.S. leaders who cannot secure our own borders. Syria was castigated for placing its troops in Lebanon, a neighboring country, although such action was invited by an elected government and encouraged by the United States. The Syrian occupation of Lebanon elicited no suicide terrorist attacks, as was suffered by Western occupiers. 2005 Ron Paul 113:9 Condemning Syria for having troops in Lebanon seems strange considering most of the world sees our 150,000 troops in Iraq as unwarranted foreign intervention. Syrian troops were far more welcome in Lebanon. 2005 Ron Paul 113:10 Secretary Rice likewise sees the problem in Syria that we helped to create as an opportunity to advance our Middle Eastern agenda. In recent testimony she stated that it was always the administration’s intent to redesign the greater Middle East, and Iraq was only part of that plan. And once again we have been told that all options are still on the table for dealing with Syria, including war. 2005 Ron Paul 113:11 The statement that should scare all Americans and the world is the assurance by Secretary Rice that the President needs no additional authority from Congress to attack Syria. She argues that authority already has been granted by the resolutions on 9/11 and Iraq. This is not true, but if Congress remains passive to the powers assumed by the executive branch, it will not matter. As the war spreads, the only role for the Congress will be to provide funding lest they be criticized for not supporting the troops. In the meantime, the Constitution and our liberties here at home will be further eroded as more Americans die. 2005 Ron Paul 113:12 This escalation of conflict with Syria comes as a result of the U.N. report concerning Hariri’s death. When we need an excuse for our actions, it is always nice to rely on the organization our administration routinely condemns, one that brought us the multi- million-dollar oil-for-food scandal and the sexual crimes by U.N. representatives. 2005 Ron Paul 113:13 It is easy to ignore the fact that the report did not implicate Assad, who is targeted for the next regime change. The U.N. once limited itself to disputes between nations; yet now it assumes the U.N., like the United States, has a legal and moral right to inject itself into the internal policies of sovereign nations. Yet what is the source of this presumed wisdom? Where is the moral imperative that allows us to become the judge and jury of a domestic murder in a country 6,000 miles from our shores? 2005 Ron Paul 113:14 Moral, constitutional, and legal arguments for a less aggressive foreign policy receives little attention in Washington, but the law of unintended consequences serves as a thorough teacher for the slow learners and the morally impaired. 2005 Ron Paul 113:15 Is Iraq not yet a headache for the proponents of the shock and awe policy? Are 2,000 lives lost not enough to get their attention? How many hundreds of billions of dollars must be drained from our economy before it is noticed? Is it still plausible that deficits do not matter? Is the apparent victory for Iran in the Shiite theocracy we have created in Iraq not yet seen as a disturbing consequence of the ill- fated Iraq regime change effort? When we have our way with the next election in Lebanon and Hezbollah becomes a governing party, what do we do then? 2005 Ron Paul 113:16 If our effort to destabilize Syria is no more successful than our efforts in Iraq, then what? If destabilizing Syria leads to the same in Iran, what are our options? If we cannot leave now, we will surely not leave then. We will be told we must stay to honor the fallen to prove the cause was just. 2005 Ron Paul 113:17 We should remember Ronald Reagan’s admonition regarding this area of the world. Ronald Reagan reflected on Lebanon in his memoirs, describing the Middle East as a “jungle” and Middle Eastern politics as “irrational.” It forced him to rethink his policy in the region. It is time we do some rethinking as well. 2005 Ron Paul 113:18 This bill today does not help. 2005 Ron Paul 113:19 Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to be equally divided between the gentleman from California (Mr. LANTOS) and the gentleman from California (Mr. ROHRABACHER), and I ask unanimous consent that they be allowed to control that time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. POE). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas? There was no objection.

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