Ron Paul Quotes.com 2006 Ron Paul Chapter 4 Ron Paul Quotes.com: Don’t Rush To War In Iran 16 February 2006 Home Page   Contents Congressional Record (Page H340)   Cached Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.

Don’t Rush To War In Iran 16 February 2006 Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. PAUL), a member of the International Relations Committee. (Mr. PAUL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) 2006 Ron Paul 4:1 Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise to express a note of caution regarding 2006 Ron Paul 4:2 this resolution. I see this resolution somewhat like some of the resolutions that we debated and passed prior to our commitment to go into Iraq. As a matter of fact, some of the language is very similar. If you substitute the word “Iraq” for “Iran,” you would find out that these concerns are very similar. 2006 Ron Paul 4:3 I do not quite have the concern that others have expressed that Iran is on the verge of having a nuclear weapon. They have never been found in violation. There has been a lot of talk and a lot of accusation, but technically they have never been found in any violation. 2006 Ron Paul 4:4 My concern for this type of language and these plans is that nothing ever changes. This is the type of thing that occurred before. Of course, we went into Iraq, and yet today the success in Iraq is very questionable. Fifty-five percent of the American people say it was a mistake to have gone into Iraq. Only forty percent of the people support staying in Iraq. Attitudes have shifted now since the success in Iraq has been so poor. 2006 Ron Paul 4:5 We went into Afghanistan to look for Osama bin Laden, and we sort of got distracted. We have forgotten about him just about completely. Instead we went into Iraq. Though the Iraq war is not going well, all of a sudden we are looking to take on another burden, another military mission. I find some things in the resolution that are very confrontational because it invokes sanctions. People say, well, sanctions are not that bad. That is no shooting or killing. But sanctions and boycotts and embargoes, these are acts of war. And, of course, many times our administration has expressed the sentiment that if necessary we are going to use force against Iran; we are going to start bombing. And why do we follow this policy? Especially since it literally helps the radicals in Iran. This mobilizes them. There is an undercurrent in Iran that is sympathetic to America, and yet this brings the radicals together by this type of language and threats. There is no doubt that our policy helps the hard-liners. 2006 Ron Paul 4:6 There has been no talk, it has been implied, but there has been no serious talk that Iran is a threat to our national security. There is no way. Even if they had nuclear weapons, they are not going to be a threat to our national security. Pakistan, that is not a democratic nation. It happens to be a military dictatorship. They have nuclear weapons. India has nuclear weapons. As a matter of fact, the nuclear weapons serve as a balance of power between two countries. The Soviets, had 30,000 nuclear weapons, and we followed a policy of containment. We did not say we have to go into the Soviet Union and bomb their establishment. No. Finally that problem dissipated. And yet we create unnecessary problems for ourselves. We go looking for trouble, and I see this as very detrimental for what we are doing with this resolution. 2006 Ron Paul 4:7 There is one portion of the resolution that concerns me about our urging the Russians and China to take a firm stand, and that has to do with the resolved clause No. 3; it says to the people of Russia and China to “expeditiously consider and take action in response to any report of Iran’s noncompliance” in fulfillment of the mandate of the Security Council to respond and deal with situations . . . 2006 Ron Paul 4:8 Any report? I mean, some report in the newspaper? Is it an IAEA report? Or whatever. That is so open-ended that this is a risky, risky resolution. 2006 Ron Paul 4:9 I urge a “no” vote on this resolution.

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