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Kucinich and Paul Tag Team Floor Debate on “Obsessed-with-Iran Legislation”
“Is the U.S. Closer to a War of Choice?”
Washington D.C. (August 1, 2012) – Congressmen Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Ron Paul (R-TX) took to the House Floor to stand in bipartisan opposition to legislation that would expand broad and indiscriminate sanctions on Iran. Congressman Paul called the House “obsessed” with a weapon that doesn’t exist, while Congressman Kucinich argued that the legislation would drive the United States closer to another unnecessary war.
See video here.
“This bill effectively states that sanctions on Iran’s central bank would not be lifted unless there is regime change… Sanctions are a form of war and they will lead to war. Some time ago we were talking ‘IF Iran would have a nuclear weapon.’ But then the bar was lowered to say ‘nuclear weapon capability.’ And now the game is being changed to say not just nuclear weapon capability, but we want regime change as well?
“If this isn't a prescription for war, then I didn't participate in the debate in this House of Representatives in October of 2002 warning this Congress, chapter and verse, that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, no role with Al Qaeda in 9/11, and did not have any intention or capability of attacking the United States. This is a version of that debate all over again,” said Kucinich.
Congressman Paul added, “I think this bill would be better named if we called it ‘Obsession with Iran Act, 2012.’ This is what we are continuing to do, obsessing with Iran and the idea that Iran is a threat to our national security. Iran happens to be a third world nation. They have no significant navy, air force or intercontinental ballistic missiles. The IAEA and CIA said they are not on the verge of a nuclear weapon.”
H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 expands current sanctions on Iran, which will harm the Iranian economy, further hurt ordinary Iranians, prevent access to basic medicine and undermine any negotiated solution with Iran. Section 217 of the bill effectively creates a policy of regime change by prohibiting the lifting of sanctions on Iran’s central bank and other financial institutions until the current regime is no longer in place.
The House is expected to vote on the bill later today.
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Lying about WMD's which their own security agencies tell them that Iran has no military nuclear weapons, makes the RIGHT WING, FASCIST CHRISTIANS, JEWS, fascist democratic party, fascist republican party, the GLOBAL NAZIS, CALLED WESTERN FASCISM. DISGUSTING LIARS, PROVOCATEURS, STATE TERRORISTS,......WE MUST DEFEAT THIS WESTERN NAZISM, ONCE AGAIN.!!!!!!!
When Romney and Obama sound like each other, they are parallel fascist Western, Nazis, thugs!!!!!
As Obama and Romney Compete for 'Top Iran Hawk': It's a Tie
Obama Adminstration announces new sanctions as Panetta in Israel says 'military options remain on table'
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/08/01-2
excerpt:
"While meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta repeated several times that "all options," including military force, remain on the table when it comes to confronting Iran over its nuclear enrichment program.
On Tuesday, the Obama administration proposed new sanctions on Iran. The announced sanctions will target Iran's energy sector and aim to thwart its ability to access international financial markets.
The announcement follows directly on GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's recent trip to Israel and amid Republican criticism that the president is not "tough enough" when it comes to dealing with Iran.
The Romney campaign clarified their candidate's position following comments made by surrogates that some thought betrayed standing US policy, saying: "Gov. Romney believes we should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is his fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so. In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded. Gov. Romney recognizes Israel's right to defend itself, and that it is right for America to stand with it."Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta meet in Israeli. (Photo: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry)
Commenting at CNN, Blake Hounshell, managing editor of Foreign Policy, writes, "If that sounds an awful lot like Barack Obama's position, it's because it is Obama's position."
“Romney likes to sound tougher on Iran, but when you really delve into the specifics, there’s not a lot of difference there from what the administration has done or is already doing,” said Colin H. Kahl, a former Pentagon official who is an adviser to the Obama campaign, to the New York Times. “A lot of this is Romney describing our current policy and masquerading it as criticism of the president.”
Barak, speaking on behalf of the Israeli government and standing next to Panetta, said he sees an "extremely low" probability that even newly proposed US sanctions will compel Iran to give up its nuclear activities. Ultimately, Barak said, Israel reserved the right to take action into its own hands and stressed that the Israeli government alone would decide its security issues.
Panetta said the US respects Israel's right to defend itself. "The U.S. respects Israel's sovereignty and independence and their efforts to decide what's in their best interest in the region," he said.
Following a meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Panetta released a statement, which read: “We will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Period." And added: "We will exert all options in the effort to ensure that that does not happen.”
Iran has consistently denied it is operating a nuclear weapons program, though it affirms its right, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to enrich uranium for energy production, research and medical purposes. Despite repeated public proclamations, neither the US, Israel, or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have presented significant evidence to contradict those claims....."
FUG, SCREW, DESTROY THESE BI PARTISAN FASCISTS, WESTERN NAZIS, SECOND AXIS OF FASCISM........THEY MUST BE DEFEATED Not ONLY IDEOLOGICALLY, BUT POLITICALLY BY REJECTING ALL CLASS POLITICANS, ALL CLASS PARTIES AND PUT THESE WESTERN NAZIS OUT OF POWER......BEFORE THEY DESTROY THE WORLD.........END ALL SUPPORT FOR CLASS PARTIES, CLASS POLITICIANS, AND END CLASS HISTORY, TOTALITARIANISM, AND TODAY'S GLOBAL FASCISM.!!!!!