Ron Paul: Sanctioning Iran Is an Act of War

Ron Paul reminds us from facts witch are too easy to forget...
by Rep. Ron Paul, April 23, 2010

I rise in opposition to this motion to instruct House conferees on HR 2194, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act, and I rise in strong opposition again to the underlying bill and to its Senate version as well. I object to this entire push for war on Iran, however it is disguised. Listening to the debate on the Floor on this motion and the underlying bill it feels as if we are back in 2002 all over again: the same falsehoods and distortions used to push the United States into a disastrous and unnecessary one-trillion-dollar war on Iraq are being trotted out again to lead us to what will likely be an even more disastrous and costly war on Iran. The parallels are astonishing.

We hear war advocates today on the Floor scare-mongering about reports that in one year Iran will have missiles that can hit the United States. Where have we heard this bombast before? Anyone remember the claims that Iraqi drones were going to fly over the United States and attack us? These "drones" ended up being pure propaganda – the UN chief weapons inspector concluded in 2004 that there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein had ever developed unpiloted drones for use on enemy targets. Of course by then the propagandists had gotten their war so the truth did not matter much.

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 Condoleeza 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.

Let us remember a few important things. Iran, a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has never been found in violation of that treaty. Iran is not capable of enriching uranium to the necessary level to manufacture nuclear weapons. According to the entire US Intelligence Community, Iran is not currently working on a nuclear weapons program. These are facts, and to point them out does not make one a supporter or fan of the Iranian regime. Those pushing war on Iran will ignore or distort these facts to serve their agenda, though, so it is important and necessary to point them out.

Some of my well-intentioned colleagues may be tempted to vote for sanctions on Iran because they view this as a way to avoid war on Iran. I will ask them whether the sanctions on Iraq satisfied those pushing for war at that time. Or whether the application of ever-stronger sanctions in fact helped war advocates make their case for war on Iraq: as each round of new sanctions failed to "work" – to change the regime – war became the only remaining regime-change option.

This legislation, whether the House or Senate version, will lead us to war on Iran. The sanctions in this bill, and the blockade of Iran necessary to fully enforce them, are in themselves acts of war according to international law. A vote for sanctions on Iran is a vote for war against Iran. I urge my colleagues in the strongest terms to turn back from this unnecessary and counterproductive march to war.

original.antiwar.com...

He is 100% right. Our country has a long history of sanctions used as a pre-cursor and step stone to war.

Ron Paul, as always being almost the ONLY VOICE OF REASON in this nutjob asylum called Congress.

Yes, A BLOCKADE IS AN ACT OF WAR.

And if these sanctions include that, as Ron Paul says, IF THEY PASS AND ENFORCE THOSE SANCTIONS IT'LL BE AN ACT OF WAR.

Of course the medias will only say it's sanctions...

And when Iran tries to break itself up from this blockade, the MSM will say 24/7 that Iran attacked US forces.

[edit on 23-4-2010 by Vitchilo]

Wow !

That's the most sensible argument about Iran I've ever read in my life...Ron Paul can emigrate to Australia and we'll make him king or president or whatever

If memory serves me correctly
Iran has been living under sanctions for the last 30 years, it's just now they want to impose more

I'm not one of those 3 cheers for Ron Paul people. This is definitely one of the best most sensible things Ive seen from him. There must be others on both sides voting along the same lines, surely he isn't alone in this.

A naval blockade is the most ancient means of war...

Just remember the castle era... You were at war with another kingdom... you had two choices to get the king...

Either attack the castle and lose lots of soldiers and maybe fail... or surround it and make a siege until they surrender or die.

A blockade IS AN ACT OF WAR.

I don't think Ron Paul is anything special, I just think almost everyone else is incompetent. Ron Paul is officially the smartest kid on the short bus!

His problem here is that he assumes his colleagues don't know it'll mean war and he only needs to show them reason. They want this fight and they're looking for a way in, like Iraq.

Yep, why does Iran pose a threat you may ask?

Think about it.

Do they have a national debt controlled by the IMF?

This is why there HAS to be war.

There SHALL BE NO SOVEREIGN NATIONS!

There SHALL BE NO ONE NOT UNDER THE THUMB of the BANKSTERS.

And the banks shall inherit the earth, with a little help from the governments.

Once again Ron Paul exhibits common sense whereas others exhibit complicity to an Obama Zionist agenda that is not in Americas best interests.

Ron Paul speaks to the nation and when he does, he offers an honest assessment of what should and should not be pursued. His candor and honesty is an example for others to follow.

Thanks for the posting.

So basically, congress and senate are about to vote on a war with Iran.

Vote for this bill and YOU VOTE FOR WAR.

Simple as that.

Remember the blockade on Iraq :
Here

First, Baugh played a CBS-TV "60 Minutes" segment from May 1996 that reported an estimated 500,000 Iraqi children had died from the economic sanctions imposed on August 6, 1990, days after Saddam Hussein's troops invaded Kuwait. Since the war ended with Iraqi's withdrawal in 1991, the number of Iraqi civilian casualties has more than doubled, according to various international aid groups.

"I think this is a very hard choice, but the price -- we think the price is worth it," said Albright, who was then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, which imposed and still maintains the sanctions. Hussein subsequently recognized Kuwait and allowed weapons inspectors into Iraq.

"It is hard for me to say this because I am humane person, but my first responsibility is to make sure that United States forces do not have to go and re-fight the Gulf War," Albright said.

You're a HUMANE PERSON? ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS? YOU SICK B****!

"We've had 10 years of malnutrition and sickness," Clark said.

Clark said the U.S-led bombings demolished the country's water system and U.N. sanctions devastated agriculture. Increases in cancer and miscarriages have occurred, and medicines are not widely available. It is not uncommon for diabetics to go blind due to the lack of insulin, he said.

Yeah bombing water systems was HUMANE.

Now they prepare to do the same thing to Iran.

Are 1 Million Children Dying in Iraq?

Yet they are blaming BUSH AND BUSH ALONE FOR ALL THE IRAQ FIASCO WHILE THAT SON OF A ***** Clinton is the ``good guy`` THIS IS SO SICK....

[edit on 23-4-2010 by Vitchilo]

Video from related thread: www.abovetopsecret.com...