Date: 01/26/2011
Transcript
Ron Paul: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how did the 20-year war get started? It had been long assumed that the United States government, shortly before Iraq invaded Kuwait in August of 1990, gave Saddam Hussein a green light to attack. A State Department cable recently published by Wikileaks confirmed that US Ambassador April Glaspie did indeed have a conversation with Saddam Hussein one week prior to Iraq’s August 1st, 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Amazingly, the released cable was entitled, “Saddam’s Message of Friendship to President Bush.” In it, Ambassador Glaspie affirmed to Saddam that the President—this is in quotes—“the President had instructed her to broaden and deepen our relations with Iraq”—close quote. As Saddam Hussein outlined Iraq’s ongoing border dispute with Kuwait, Ambassador Glaspie was quite clear that—quote—“We took no position on these Arab affairs”—close quote. There would have been no reason for Saddam Hussein not to take this assurance at face value. The US was quite supportive of his invasion and war of aggression against Iran in the 1980s. With this approval from the U.S. Government, it wasn’t surprising that the invasion occurred. The shock and surprise was how quickly the tables were turned, and our ‘friend,’ Saddam Hussein, all of a sudden became Hitler personified.
The document was classified, supposedly to protect national security, yet this information in no way jeopardized our security. Instead, it served to keep the truth from the American people about an event leading up to our initial military involvement in Iraq, and the region, that continues to today. The secrecy of the memo was designed to hide the truth from the American people and keep our government from being embarrassed.
This was the initial event that had led to so much death and destruction, not to mention the financial cost these past 20 years. Our response and persistent militarism toward Iraq was directly related to 9/11, as our presence on the Arabian peninsula—and in particular, Saudi Arabia—was listed by al-Qaeda as a major grievance that outraged the radicals who carried out the heinous attacks New York and Washington on that fateful day.
Today the conflict has spread through the Middle East and Central Asia with no end in sight. The reason this information is so important is that, if Congress and the American people had known about this “green-light incident” 20 years ago, they would have been a lot more reluctant to give a green light to our government to pursue the current war, a war that is ongoing and expanding to this very day.
The tough question that remains is, was this done deliberately, to create the justification, to redesign the Middle East, as many neo-conservatives desired, and to secure oil supplies for the West? Or was it just a diplomatic blunder followed up by many more strategic military blunders? Regardless, we have blundered into a war that no one seems willing to end.
Julian Assange, the publisher of the Wikileaks memo, is now considered an Enemy of the State. Politicians are calling for drastic punishment and even assassination. And sadly, the majority of the American people seem to support such moves. But why should we so fear the truth? Why should our government’s lies and mistakes be hidden from the American people in the name of patriotism? Once it becomes acceptable to equate “truth” with “treason,” we can no longer call ourselves a free society.
And I yield back the balance of my time.
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David Rockefeller, “Memoirs, p. 405:
“Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.”
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Anyone can go to opensecrets(dot)org and see the top contributors to both the Bush and Obama Presidential Campaigns were the big banks behind the Fed and the UN. Investigate the history of “continental unions”, and you will see the bankster-owned UN is behind them ALL. They are pushing us headlong toward a global plutarchy, and Ron knows it.
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No matter what happens in 2012… this is my president.
»crosslinked«
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Go ronnie!
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omg, this is surprising on one level, but expected on another.
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Truth is treason in an empire of lies!!!
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Ron, keep in mind your preference is that the US should have no position on any squabble between any pair of nations, not just Iraq and Kuwait. “No position” does not mean “go ahead”, or “green light”, it means no position. The problem is not that we gave anything like a green light; the problem is that we invaded Iraq for a squabble that was none of our business.
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Pretty sure “Hitler personfied,” is Hitler.
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he’ll never be president. he’s the only one who tells the truth
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Straight & honest & free. That’s the America I signed up for
Curb the war machine, before they ruin us
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Of course it is. WE must make the middle east so its safe for israel.i mean we must at all cost defend a country taht was set up in a region that must of it neighbors despise and waist our money on it.
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Thank you Mr. Paul for this information. I had no idea about the lead-up to the Iraq-Kuwait conflict. Very dissappointed to hear what happened, but not surprised either. Ever since Alex woke me up, I expect this crap all the time now.
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! :-O Ron Paul is FEARLESS!
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If you simply review the facts, you will see that Kuwait was conducting slant drilling into Iraq. If I were ANY country, and someone was ‘drinking my milkshake’, I would absolutely invade them as well.
Kuwait was a country that was known about RARELY from any American before the war began.
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Go Ron Go Ron Go Ron!!!!
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If only winning the intellectual arguement meant anything in our state controlled society.
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it must suck to be the guy that has to give a speech right after ron paul shits on everyone like that… hahah RON PAUL 2012!!!!
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Like a boss.
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GO! GO, Ronny! GO ! Ronny be good !!!!
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Ron Paul – DOING HIS CIVIL DUTY!
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LOL one person dislikes this??? WTF??? must be george w bush LOL
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We gave them the WMD’s that he did have- and even knew they where expired and inert
RON PAUL 2012 BABY!
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Ron Paul for President.
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Wonderful as always
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Bush gave Saddam the “green light” to invade and take a piece of land in order to have access to the sea.
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Viva Dr Ron Paul!
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Mr. Speecher
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I just did a slow clap in front of my computer. I just couldn’t help myself.
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Nice job Ron, I was unaware of this memo or what its implications were. Further it seems that the Kuwaiti’s were in fact instigating the conflict by slant drilling and taking oil from the Iragi Oil fields which is simply thieft and ample reason for the Iraqi’s actions given what this memo brought to light.
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the lies we we told go bad farther & deeper than we realize
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The person who voted thumbs down is Barry Soetoro’s teleprompter.
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ha ha ha 304 views 96 ratings….how long will it stay at 304 views? Ron Paul 2012!
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Truth is treason in an empire of lies.
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All politicians who make sense and say the truth end up being assassinated =/
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wow
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