[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CONDEMNING NORTH KOREA FOR ATTACK AGAINST SOUTH KOREA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2010

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this saber-rattling 
resolution that unnecessarily escalates tensions between North and 
South Korea and may in fact put U.S. troops stationed in the area at 
risk. This resolution portrays the recent hostilities between the two 
Koreas as ``an unprovoked military attack'' by North Korea, which is 
untrue. We know that South Korea was conducting live fire military 
exercises in the vicinity of disputed territory and that this action, 
taken with U.S. military support and participation, likely led to the 
exchange of gunfire between the two sides.
  As the resolution states, the ``USS George Washington Carrier Strike 
Group is conducting exercises with Republic of Korea naval forces in 
the waters west of the Korean Peninsula.'' Let us for a moment imagine 
the Chinese military holding joint exercises with Venezuela off the 
Texas coast. Might that be viewed as provocative by the United States? 
This is not to excuse or endorse the actions of the North Korean 
military, which are certainly regrettable, but it is important to 
accurately portray the events.
  This resolution is long on inaccuracies and hyperbole but it avoids 
the real issue, which is why, more than fifty years after the end of 
the Korean war, the American taxpayer is still forced to pay for the 
U.S. military to defend a modern and wealthy South Korea. The continued 
presence of the U.S. military as a ``tripwire'' to deter North Korea is 
ineffective and dangerous. It is designed to deter renewed hostilities 
by placing American lives between the two factions. As we have seen 
recently, South Korean leaders, emboldened by the U.S. protection, seek 
to provoke North Korean reaction rather than to work for a way to 
finally end the conflict. The U.S. presence only serves to prolong the 
conflict, further drain our empty treasury, and place our military at 
risk. I encourage my colleagues to reject this jingoistic resolution 
and instead use our Constitutionally-granted authority to finally end 
the U.S. military presence in and defense of South Korea.

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