Posted on 01/05/2009 11:50:56 AM PST by LdSentinal
Outspoken Republican congressman Ron Paul says Israel had received a green light from the United States to launch an offensive in Gaza.
The Texas congressman said the Israeli attack on the impoverished Gaza Strip shapes a bleak future for the whole world as it means that, "the whole idea of preemptive or preventive war is spreading."
He went on to challenge the idea of Hamas threatening Israel's security and argued that "Palestinian missiles are so minor compared to the fire power of Israel, who has nuclear weapons."
The US Congressman's remarks come as Israel continues to rebuff international efforts to end the assault on Gaza, and Israeli troops and tanks -- protected by heavy air, sea and artillery fire - have sliced through the center of Gaza and surrounded the main city.
The tenth day of the assault brings the number of Palestinian casualties to 530 with over 2,600 others wounded. The UN says that about 25 percent of the casualties were civilian deaths.
Paul added that the escalation of war in Gaza would contribute to the fall of economy on the global stage and in the US, explaining that the US involvement in too many wars is "draining us emotionally and financially".
Congressman Paul said that even though Israel has carried out the invasion of Gaza, "the United States will be blamed for it."
"Israel depends on us; they depend on us economically, they depend on us for their military power and all their weapons and they really got a green light from our administration," he explained.
Paul's comment comes after US vice president Dick Cheney said Israel did not seek Washington's approval for launching an offensive against Gaza.
"They didn't seek clearance or approval from us, certainly," Cheney said Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli website Debkafile cited sources in Washington as saying that US President George W. Bush had given a green light to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for an all-out military operation in Gaza.
The GOP congressman also warned in July, that any Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would take place with the explicit backing of the US government.
Paul told Press TV that, "No matter what they do, it is our money, it is our weapons, and they are not going to do it without us approving it."
RP and the oompaloompas are fools and dangerous fools that would get everyone killed.
He actually thinks all these things are merely a police matter.
If pirates sink ships in international waters, he thinks you just pick up a phone and call 9-11.
Ron Paul is as much of a nutjob at Dennis Kucinich.
I would say you do what you can with the assets and intelligence you have. If your assets (weaponry) are limited to something that would destroy a block to take out an enemy building, you may have no choice. If you have 'smart bombs', it may be in your best interest to use that, not just for limiting collateral damage, but because you may need to utilize the infrastructure if/when you move in as a ground force. Those decisions should be left to military commanders in field or whom have the correct intel and information to make that decision, not to arm-chair philosophers.
At least Kucinich is honest about who he is and doesn’t hide the fact he is an anti-war, radical liberal. Paul still holds himself up to be the ‘lone true Conservative and Constitutionalist’ as if he is some demigod of politics.
Me thinks....that many in this argument have never been shot at!
In WWII I would have opposed the use of atomic bomb on civilian targets such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but I would have supported it against military targets.
In all fairness I like the idea of small Government as we all do.. But sometimes the messenger can kill the message.. I think people like Ron Paul has done a lot of damage to the cause imho..
Which is interesting because Hiroshima and Nagasaki where both home to a majority of their military manufacturing capacity, thus, they are military targets and a large population of the civilians who lived in those cities worked in said manufacturing.
A bombing campaign designed to decapitate and soften legitimate targets is fine; bombing apartment buildings because there might be something of military nature in them is just an excuse for bombing civilians.
But it is civilian structures that were bombed, not the factories. Also, I don’t think factory workers are legitimate targets, although the factories certainly are. It is however a large topic and a diversion here. We have enough trouble in the present.
That contemptuous little maggot needs to be on the receiving end of a few years worth of random missile fire with no way of knowing if it’s going to hit him, his kids or the neighbor next door.
I guarantee he would be screaming his pointy little head off for military intervention.
So, Hamas can stick a rocket launcher at a site, put up a sign that says Shady Brook Apartments, move their family in, and it isn't a military target? Maybe a rocket launcher isn't enough, what if they put an ammunition dump inside said apartment? What if they used said apartment as their headquarters for attack? When does said apartment become a legitimate military target in your mind?
If you don’t think that military manufacturing assets (factory workers) are legitimate targets, then I don’t believe we will ever find a converging point in this debate.
bombing apartment buildings because there might be something of military nature in them is just an excuse for bombing civilians.
"Might be" or "has been determined to be"?
Those are two very different things.
M:
Those decisions should be left to military commanders in field or whom have the correct intel and information to make that decision, not to arm-chair philosophers.
Since the IAF/IDF is conducting the current operation, it is somewhat academic to me. However, the USAF/USA/USN/USMC have conducted similar operations; to the extent that they were being conducted in my name and on my behalf (as a tax-paying citizen of these United States) it certainly is within my prerogative to discuss and critique their decisions ... even if I'm only an "arm-chair philosoper". In a Republic, the military acts to enforce the policies of the civilian government, is subordinate to the civilian government, and must obey the directives (including rules of engagement) of the civilian government.
Fortunately, the USA is a Republic. Israel is one as well.
When there are no civilians in it, or there is a way to take out the missile launcher and its crew without killing every woman and child in it. In other words, troops on the ground can do it, a helicopter pilot cannot.
Look war is not nice nor neat.. To me war is necessary evil and should be used at a last resort.. Ever since the beginning of time civilians has been have been caught in the middle of war and have been killed by war. That is the fact..
As another poster said, that is great on paper, but doesn’t work in the real world.
Those are two very different things.
Not really. Fog of war and all that.
When and where did I say or imply that? In fact, I recognise that the line between civilian and military can be blurred. A bomb factory is a legitimate target. A "baby milk factory" (if in fact it really is one ;'0) is not. What about a computer parts factory? Civilian or military? Or both? How about a 10 year old child (who happens to be a student at the local Academy for Aspiring Suicide Bombers)?
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