THE AYATOLLAH APPROVES: Ron Paul is First To Criticize Israel and First to Defend Iran

Republican Security Council @Facebook ^

[mnehring]

The Islamic Republic of Iran is today at the pinnacle of the Axis of Evil. They refer to the United States as a “Satanic power,” but they have a consistent champion in the U.S. Congress who has defended their policies and propaganda in numerous debates. He claims Israel has established a "concentration camp" in Gaza, but when it comes to Iran his attitude is see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil against the Islamic Republic.

• For over 30 years they have had an annual “Death to America” holiday, and the Tehran regime describes the USA as “the Great Satan,” while Israel is the “Little Satan.” 
• Their hostility has been apparent since they came to power in 1979 and held American hostages for 444 days.  
• The Ayatollah's admirer is Ron Paul, who is the only Republican Member of Congress who has consistently opposed every anti-Iranian resolution, and never fails to justify their actions. 
• Their state television has run stories such as “Ron Paul Blasts U.S. Policy on Iran,” where the lawmaker is praised for advocating the end of all U.S. assistance to Israel and his opposition to the "unconstitutional" raid which killed Osama bin Laden.  
• Paul is against resolutions criticizing Iran because he does not want America to comment on the “internal affairs” of another nation. That never stops the Congressman when Israel is concerned. The isolationists of the 1930s said the same thing, and to them the persecution of the Jews was an internal German matter. 
• According to Paul's logic, all human rights abuses should be ignored. The cruel Tehran regime executes young women for behavior which is normal in the United States. The girls are gang raped prior to their execution because the Mullahs don't want them to "die as virgins." They believe "virgins go straight to heaven." Human rights organizations describe Iran as one big prison for women.
• Paul is a vigorous foe of all foreign aid, but there is one exception. He supports full funding for the Palestinian Authority.

HE BELIEVES IT IS AMERICA'S FAULT 

During the August 11, 2011 GOP presidential debate in Iowa, Paul said "We started it in 1953 when we sent in a coup, installed the Shah, and the reaction — the blowback came in 1979. It’s been going on and on because we just plain don’t mind our own business. That’s our problem."

• This is not a new viewpoint, and in 2002 he said "The tired assertion that America 'supports democracy' in the Middle East is increasingly transparent. It was false 50 years ago, when we supported and funded the hated Shah of Iran to prevent nationalization of Iranian oil, and it's false today when we back an unelected military dictator in Pakistan."
• The “blowback” theory is one of his favorite allegations, and he has made 10 speeches on the House floor during the past five years on this topic. 
• He not only excuses Iran’s behavior but says “We need to take out the CIA,” and wants the agency abolished.
• In 2005, Ron Paul was the only Republican lawmaker who refused to vote for a resolution condemning Iran’s President after he said “Israel should be wiped off the map,” and called for a "world without Zionism. . . Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation. The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm.” He also warned Europe that it should support his country’s nuclear program or “suffer the consequences.”
• Paul supporters are defending the Congressman by claiming the actual translation of what President Ahmadinejad said was, "drive the Israelis into the sea". That does not significantly change his meaning, and the late Ayatollah Khomenei, the father of the Islamic Revolution, said the same thing. The "wiped off the map" quote was first disseminated by the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official propaganda arm. They used this phrase in the English version of their news releases covering the World Without Zionism conference.
• On June 20, 2007, Paul and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) were the only two lawmakers to vote against the Rothman-Kirk Resolution, which calls on the United Nations to charge Ahmadinejad with violating the genocide convention of the United Nations Charter based on his numerous statements.
• On June 19, 2009, the House voted to pass H Res 560 by a 405 to 1 margin. Dr. Paul was the sole opponent and the resolution was entitled: "Expressing support for all Iranian citizens who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and rule of law, and for other purposes."
• In October 2009, Paul and Kucinich were the only two Members of Congress to vote against House Resolution 175 condemning the government of Iran for “state-sponsored persecution of its Bahá’í minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights.”

IRAN AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS

During the same Iowa debate, Dr. Paul said “Why shouldn’t Iran want a nuclear weapon?” and claimed it would give them more respect internationally. He rejects the "dangerous military confrontation approaching with Iran and supported by many in leadership on both sides of the aisle." Dr. Paul believes we should ignore Iran's nuclear program and claims the "CIA has confirmed they have no evidence Iran is working on a nuclear weapon".

• He is referring to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate which said Iran had halted its drive to produce nuclear weapons. The Texan is ignoring the March 2010 CIA report which concluded "Iran continues to develop a range of capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so." 
• Three months later the then CIA Director, Leon Panetta, said the Iranians "are developing their nuclear capability and that raises concerns," and "[w]e think they have enough low-enriched uranium right now for two weapons."

On April 22, 2010 the House voted 403-11 to proceed with a conference which would further isolate Iran by cutting off its supplies of refined petroleum products such as gasoline. Under the proposed law, companies that export gasoline to Iran would be barred from the U.S. market. Despite Iran's massive oil reserves, the country has limited refining capacity and has to import the gasoline it requires. 

The lawmakers were acting to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said, "We have waited long enough for diplomacy to work." Many lawmakers told the House that Iran's intentions are clear, and "now is the time to implement crippling sanctions on this reckless regime." Paul led the opposition to the "Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act," and told the House:

“I rise in strong opposition. I object to this entire push for war on Iran, however it is disguised. . . We hear war advocates on the floor today arguing that we cannot afford to sit around and wait for Iran to detonate a nuclear weapon. Where have we heard this before? Anyone remember then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s oft-repeated quip about Iraq: that we cannot wait for the smoking gun to appear as a mushroom cloud. We need to see all this for what it is: Propaganda to speed us to war against Iran for the benefit of special interests. . . A vote for sanctions on Iran is a vote for war against Iran.”

IRAN AND TERRORISM

Dr. Paul does not view Iran as a threat to the stability of the Middle East. Iran does have terrible financial problems, but nevertheless, the nation's official budget lists over $1 billion which is distributed to terrorist organizations on an annual basis. They also train and provide guidance and weapons to numerous terrorist and militant groups. 

• They have been meddling in Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza for many years. Iran's nuclear activities and human rights abuses are not the only ones that violate UN resolutions. The Islamic Republic's support for terrorist organizations does so as well. 
• He also defends the Islamic Republic by claiming they are not attacking anyone, but Iran is the chief sponsor of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Their oil wealth has made them the central banker of terrorism, and they are working diligently to undermine the government of Iraq. 
• Iran has supplied al Qaeda in Iraq with weapons and they have supported several Iraqi militant groups such as the Mahdi Army, which are responsible for the deaths of many U.S. troops. They have also supplied Hamas with the over 10,000 rockets which have been fired at Israel.

SANCTIONS ON IRAN

• Paul is against placing any sanctions on Iran in response to the nuclear weapons program and human rights violations. The new sanctions are aimed at the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) which facilitates the operations of its Revolutionary Guard. The Central Bank is used to circumvent existing international sanctions.
• The sanctions would freeze Iran out of the global financial system and make it difficult for them to clear billions in oil sales every month. Dr. Paul is in opposition to sanctions because he believes the Iran threat is both small and exaggerated, and sanctions “would make matters worse.”  

THE UNITED STATES AND THE 1953 IRAN COUP

During the Iowa debate, Paul said: “We started it in 1953… we installed the Shah, and the blowback came in 1979… it’s been going on because we just plain don’t mind our own business. That’s our problem!”

• On July 1, 2009, he wrote in The Washington Times, "in 1953, our CIA helped overthrow Mohammad Mosaddeq, the democratically elected prime minister of Iran and installed the Shah of Iran, a ruthless dictator. The blowback from our actions was in large part responsible for the extremist Iranian Revolution of 1979, the taking of our hostages and the many problems we have had with Iran ever since. So much of our intervention makes no sense."

In response, former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) said:

"I don’t apologize for that. I don’t apologize for the Iranian people being free for a long time and now they’re under a mullacracy that tramples the rights of women, tramples the rights of gays, tramples the rights of people all throughout their society and it’s the greatest supporter of terrorism in the Middle East and around the world. . . Anyone who suggests Iran is not a threat to this country is not seeing the world very clearly."

The United States did not install the Shah and Prime Minister Mossadegh's fall was not due to CIA dirty tricks. It happened because hundreds of thousands of Iranians poured into the streets to demand his departure and return of the Shah.  Since the late 1940s the United States had been friendly to the nationalist movement in Iran, and America was instrumental in forcing the Soviet Union in 1946 to leave the nation after WW II and to return control of its oil fields.

• America urged Britain to revise its 1908 oil agreement with Iran and to compromise on a more equitable pact. The United States maintained a neutral position until it became apparent the Prime Minister was working with the communist Tudeh Party to seize dictatorial control. 
• During the Mossadegh crisis, the Shah resisted efforts to have the Prime Minister removed illegally. The Shah was well aware of Iran’s Constitutional requirements, but they were ignored by the Prime Minister. 
• Winston Churchill called Mossadegh "an elderly lunatic bent on wrecking his country and handing it over to the Communists." 
• To keep power, Mossadegh organized a rigged election and claimed a 99.9% victory. He dismissed parliament and was ruling as a dictator. The nation was suffering from an economic meltdown because Mossadegh had nationalized the oil industry, and Britain had organized a boycott in response.  Because of the economic upheaval, once supportive nationalists, clerics, and army officers peeled away from Mossadegh.

When the Shah finally took action after the fake national referendum, he was acting within his Constitutional rights. He always had the power to dismiss the prime minister, and under the Constitution the armed forces were controlled by the Shah, not the Prime Minister.  Mossadegh tried to unilaterally change the Constitution and ignored the Shah’s order. He was successful in forcing the Shah into exile, but was himself dethroned in a counter coup.

• Dr. Paul is correct in noting the coup was covertly supported by the United States and Great Britain. When Mossadegh defied the Shah, the country experienced three days of near chaos. 
• The CIA did print leaflets against Mossadegh and the agency attempted to stir up opposition, but the Iranian people were already outraged over what had happened. The clerical opposition to Mossadegh was far more important than anything done by the CIA.  
• It should also be noted that for decades the United States pressured the Shah to democratize.

After the coup the Shah would rule for 25 more years. It is now viewed as Iran’s golden age. He modernized the economy, granting rights to women, protecting religious freedoms, aligning with the United States, and maintaining some ties with Israel. The nation’s standard of living increased significantly.

The Ayatollah Khomeini then imposed a theocracy and quickly murdered far more people than the number tormented by the Shah's secret police, SAVAK, during the preceding 25 years. All political and religious opposition has been denied ever since.

AMADINEJAD AND THE HOLOCAUST  

Ahmadinejad has warned Western leaders to follow the path of God [Islam] or “vanish from the face of the earth“. Lawmakers in both political parties have denounced the Iranian president for his skepticism regarding the Holocaust. Onc again, while Dr. Paul is always the first lawmaker to criticize Israel, he ignores all of Iran’s outrageous statements and actions. In May of 2006, Ahmadinejad told Der Spiegel, a German news magazine:

"One group of scholars or persons, most of them politically motivated, say the Holocaust occurred. Then there is the group of scholars who represent the opposite position and have therefore been imprisoned for the most part. Hence, an impartial group has to come together to investigate and to render an opinion on this very important subject, because the clarification of this issue will contribute to the solution of global problems. Under the pretext of the Holocaust, a very strong polarization has taken place in the world and fronts have been formed. It would therefore be very good if an international and impartial group looked into the matter in order to clarify it once and for all. Normally, governments promote and support the work of researchers on historical events and do not put them in prison."

[rzman21]

Ron Paul reminds me more of a cult leader each day.

[Signalman]

After the Iowa primary, RP will be a footnote in history. He has NO CHANCE of getting the nomination. None. Nada.

[svcw]

Nice comparison. Get your flame suit the paulbots will climb outa the basement to set you a flame in 1, 2, 3,.......

[Leader_Of_The _Conservatives]

Look at the fear being brought by the elitist republicans that have as much to lose in a free society as the dems. The stories and fallacies noe being brought out is hilarious. People seem to want to prop up statist regime after status regime because we continue to live in fear of a bunch of backwards 3rd world countries. Sad thing is every repucan running has the same foreign policy as Obama, save Ron Paul.

I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery- Thomas Jefferson

[rzman21]

I used to work with Ron Paul’s grandson.

[Leader_Of_The _Conservatives]

Stupid Droid auto fix

[svcw]

Not sure that will protect you.....

[formosa]

This little dude isn’t playing with a full deck and obviously lacks any historical education on the middle east and Muslims. Would he speak this way about Jefferson and his dilemma with the Barbary pirates? Was that America’s fault as well?

[svcw]

Really? 3rd world countries with nukes. 3rd world countries that want to die. 3rd would countries who will stop at nothing to try wipe the USA out. 3rd world countries who celebrate Ron Paul and his anti-Semitism.
So why is it that you are a Paul supporter?
anti-Semitism, racism, irrational foreign policies ideas....what?

[Jukeman]

Maybe the Joel Rosenberg books nailed it.

[ncalburt]

I think Obama and Ron have alot in common

hate Jews and Israel
love Iran getting the bomb,
Both hates the Us troops and consider them war criminals
Both depend on Code Pink for donations
Both love earmarks
Both blame the US for 9-11
Why isn’t Nutter Ron in the America hating party ?

[ncalburt]

These Paul nutters have lied to everyone and themselves and twisted the facts their about their
Leader it’s like dealing with cultists.
They can’t handle the truth about the nutter being exposed.
Then again many of the Paulbots are just Dem party operatives

[crz]

Weakness provokes insult and injury,

Thomas Jefferson.

[crz]

Whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace.

Thomas Jefferson.

[crz]

To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.

George Washington.

[Windflier]

I used to work with Ron Paul’s grandson.

Welcome to Free Republic.

[rmlew]

Sad thing is every repucan running has the same foreign policy as Obama, save Ron Paul.
You are either a natural liar, an ignorant twit, or partisan hack. Look up Michele Bachmann's foreign policy. Then be an adult and retract the lie.