[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12149-H12150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     U.S. FOREIGN POLICY OF MILITARY INTERVENTIONISM BRINGS DEATH, 
                     DESTRUCTION, AND LOSS OF LIFE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Paul) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, demonstrators are once again condemning 
America in a foreign city. This time, it is in Kabul, Afghanistan. 
Shouting ``Death to America,'' burning our flag, and setting off 
bombings, the demonstrators express their hatred toward America.
  The United States has just placed sanctions on yet another country to 
discipline those who do not obey our commands. The nerve of them. Do 
they not know we are the most powerful Nation in the world and we have 
to meet our responsibilities? They should do as we say and obey our CIA 
directives.
  This process is not new. It has been going on for 50 years, and it 
has brought us grief and multiplied our enemies. Can one only imagine 
what the expression of hatred might be if we were not the most powerful 
Nation in the world?
  Our foreign policy of military interventionism has brought us death 
and destruction to many foreign lands and loss of life for many 
Americans. From Korea and Vietnam to Serbia, Iran, Iraq and now 
Afghanistan, we have ventured far from our shores in search of wars to 
fight. Instead of more free trade with our potential adversaries, we 
are quick to slap on sanctions that hurt American exports and help to 
solidify the power of the tyrants, while seriously penalizing innocent 
civilians in fomenting anti-America hatred.

                              {time}  1330

  The most current anti-American demonstrations in Kabul were 
understandable and predictable. Our one-time ally, Osama bin Laden, 
when he served as a freedom fighter against the Soviets in Afghanistan 
and when we bombed his Serbian enemies while siding with his friends in 
Kosovo, has not been fooled and knows that his cause cannot be promoted 
by our fickle policy.
  Sanctions are one thing, but seizures of bank assets of any related 
business to the Taliban government infuriates and incites the radicals 
to violence. There is no evidence that this policy serves the interests 
of world peace. It certainly increases the danger to all Americans as 
we become the number one target of terrorists. Conventional war against 
the United States is out of the question, but acts of terrorism, 
whether it is the shooting down of a civilian airliner or bombing a New 
York City building, are almost impossible to prevent in a reasonably 
open society.
  Likewise, the bombings in Islamabad and possibly the U.N. plane crash 
in Kosovo are directly related to our meddling in the internal affairs 
of these nations.
  General Musharraf's successful coup against Prime Minister Sharif of 
Pakistan was in retaliation for America's interference with Sharif's 
handling of the Pakistan-India border war. The recent bombings in 
Pakistan are a clear warning to Musharraf that he, too, must not submit 
to U.S.-CIA directives.
  I see this as a particularly dangerous time for a U.S. president to 
be traveling to this troubled region, since so many blame us for the 
suffering, whether it is the innocent victims in Kosovo, Serbia, Iraq, 
or Afghanistan. It is hard for the average citizen of these countries 
to understand why we must be so involved in their affairs, and resort 
so readily to bombing and boycotts in countries thousands of miles away 
from our own.
  Our foreign policy is deeply flawed and does not serve our national 
security interest. In the Middle East, it has

[[Page H12150]]

endangered some of the moderate Arab governments and galvanized Muslim 
militants.
  The recent military takeover of Pakistan and the subsequent anti-
American demonstration in Islamabad should not be ignored. It is time 
we in Congress seriously rethink our role in the region and in the 
world. We ought to do more to promote peace and trade with our 
potential enemies, rather than resorting to bombing and sanctions.

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