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."
I don’t see how the air war strategy worked for Israel so far either.
That was to annalex, I had just copied you... (follow the post backward)
Ask Egypt about the effectiveness of Israel’s use of the ‘air war’ strategy. Ask Lebanon about the effectiveness of Israel not using the air war strategy.
Fog of war cannot be allowed to become an excuse for deliberately killing noncombatants ... it also cannot be allowed to become an excuse for hiding behind noncombatants. Absolute certainty is not possible, even for ground forces. In fact, I believe it's possible, in some cases, for aerial attack to be more proportionate and more discriminating than ground attack.
Why, I had recent Lebanon war in mind. Strikes on Qana did nothing for Israel, neither militarily or in terms of public opinion, but much for Hesbollah, and now the same mistake has been repeated in Gaza.
I don’t disagree with any of that.
... you sure have something to say about IDF operations as well.
People(FReepers included)wanted us to vote for this ignorant SOB?
Does it matter?
How about reality? How about missiles raining down on Israel for months under a so called cease fire? How about defending your country(Israel)from people who want to annihilate you? Does your ignorant morality take these things into consideration, or do you just think it is ok for Muslims to kill Israelis but not for Israelis to kill Muslims?
Ron Paul is an enemy to Israel and the U.S. and should removed from office ASAP.
Hamas was elected by the citizens of Gaza so they are just as responsible as those who actively fight for the Hamas terrorist state. I would blame Israel for adopting WWII tactics and completely annhilating Gaza City from the air.
would = wouldn’t
A constitutional conservative is an enemy to the US? LOL
Judging by the support he recieves from the likes of David Duke and his ilk, I think we all can guess exactly why he has that bias.
An apologist for terrorists and antisemites is a domestic enemy.
More malpractice by Paul. Why does he have such a hard time understanding that the proper function of government is protection of individual citizens from violation of rights and initiation of force from within and without? Why does he keep forgetting or ignoring the without part?
...and David Paterson!
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