Congress’s ‘Virtual Iran War Resolution’

Ron Paul
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Statement on House Congressional Resolution 362 before the US House of Representatives, June 28, 2008

Today the Dow Jones Average was down 350-some points, gold was up $32, and oil was up another $5. There is a lot of chaos out there and everyone is worried about $4 gasoline. But I don’t think there is a clear understanding [of] exactly why that has occurred.

We do know that there is a supply and demand issue, but there are other reasons for the high cost of energy. One is inflation. In order to pay for the war that has been going on, and the domestic spending, we’ve been spending a lot more money than we have. So what do we do? We send the bills over to the Federal Reserve and they create new money, and in the last three years, our government, through the Federal Reserve and the banking system, has created $4 trillion of new money. That is one of the main reasons why we have this high cost of energy and $4 per gallon gasoline.

But there is another factor that I want to talk about tonight, and that is not only the fear of inflation and future inflation, but the fear factor dealing with our foreign policy. In the last several weeks, if not for months, we have heard a lot of talk about the potential of Israel and/or the United States bombing Iran. And it is in the marketplace. Energy prices are being bid up because of this fear. It has been predicted that if bombs start dropping, that we will see energy prices double or triple. It is just the thought of it right now that is helping to push these energy prices up. And that is a very real thing going on right now.

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But to me it is almost like déjà vu all over again. We listened to the rhetoric for years and years before we went into Iraq. We did not go in the correct manner, we did not declare war, we are there and it is an endless struggle. And I cannot believe it, that we may well be on the verge of initiating the bombing of Iran!

Leaders on both sides of the aisle, and in the administration, have all said so often, “No options should be taken off the table – including a nuclear first strike on Iran.” The fear is, they say, maybe someday [Iran is] going to get a nuclear weapon, even though our own CIA’s National Intelligence Estimate has said that the Iranians have not been working on a nuclear weapon since 2003. They say they’re enriching uranium, but they have no evidence whatsoever that they’re enriching uranium for weapons purposes. They may well be enriching uranium for peaceful purposes, and that is perfectly legal. They have been a member of the non-proliferation treaties, and they are under the investigation of the IAEA, and ElBaradei has verified that in the last year there have been nine unannounced investigations and examinations of the Iranian nuclear structure and they have never been found to be in violation. And yet, this country and Israel are talking about a preventive war – starting bombing for this reason, without negotiations, without talks.

Now the one issue that I do want to mention tonight is a resolution that is about to come to this floor if our suspicions are correct, after the July 4th holiday. And this bill will probably be brought up under suspension. It is expected to pass easily. It probably will be. And it is just more war propaganda, just more preparation to go to war against Iran.

This resolution, H.J. Res 362 [listed as H. Con. Res 362 online] is a virtual war resolution. It is the declaration of tremendous sanctions, and boycotts and embargoes on the Iranians. It is very, very severe. Let me just read what is involved if this bill passes and what we’re telling the President what he must do:

This demands that the President impose stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran, and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials.

This is unbelievable! This is closing down Iran. Where do we have this authority? Where do we get the moral authority? Where do we get the international legality for this? Where do we get the Constitutional authority for this? This is what we did for ten years before we went into Iraq. We starved children – 50,000 individuals it was admitted probably died because of the sanctions on the Iraqis. They were incapable at the time of attacking us. And all the propaganda that was given for our need to go into Iraq was not true.

And it is not true today about the severity [of the need to attack Iran]. But they say, “Yeah, but Ahmadinejad – he’s a bad guy. He’s threatened violence.” But you know what? Us threatening violence is very, very similar. We must – we must look at this carefully. We just can’t go to war again under these careless, frivolous conditions.

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12 Responses to “Congress’s ‘Virtual Iran War Resolution’”

JoeMama Says:
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:45 am
Ron Paul tells it like it is! Well, except for tacitly agreeing that Ahmadinejad has threated violence–I suppose he’s talking about the falsified “Wipe Israel off the map” statement, which we all know to be a fabrication. No matter, Ron Paul is still one of “our” voices that is being heard in the sespit of the Congressional Chambers.
Paul in Oregon Says:
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am
This is a blockade and as such is in itself an act of war. Iran would be legally justified in attacking any vessel taking part in this action. Perhaps this is exactly what they want – provoke Iran into “firing the first shot.”

If you’ll excuse me now, I must go off and begin throwing up uncontrollably.
Peter A Sagi Says:
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:16 am
One possible scenario is that the constant threat of action against Iran is actually a move in concert WITH Iran to bid up oil prices, create a speculative bubble, and then make more money and gain further control over the energy market by shorting crude oil futures once the price has been bid up to its peak or shortly below that.

I don’t buy for one instant that Iran will be a target until there is another false flag operation to provide a fig leaf.

Pete
Linda Says:
July 4th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Best to set up timed hydroponics to grow food indoors. Stock up
on protection instruments before they become unavailable. I worry
more about the aftermath of when we strike and get hit back. Any
uniformed Chinamen come to my door, they are there to hurt me. You know the drill.
Also, stock up on chlorella algea. It’s a complete food. It will
nourish, detoxify, and keep you alive. For now, it is reasonably
priced. Google for sources if you don’t know where to find it.
Get a crank radio, or even a ham. And find a way to operate your home “off the grid”.Batteries, generators,solar.
If you heat your home with a monitor, put a padlock on the tank and cover the level measure with duct tape.And build to hide it.
If you have a large amount of cash or gold securities in a bank,
WITHDRAW NOW. Unless you have a lead vault or box, they can find the cash wherever you stash it. A friend of mine who did work for the Mint told me that there are radioactive threads in the paper
bills, for the purpose of the gov’t-run-amuck to find all of it
and take it from you. And if you stash gold, a satellite or several agents with metal detectors can find it.Caution with that. Satellites are the enemy.
Come August, we hit survival mode. Not just from treasonists and
war. There will be severe earthquakes,pestulence, fires and floods. There will be more tsunamis, and volcanoes will blow.The
banks are going to fold and file bankruptcy,the stock market will
crash and burn, and we will be under martial law.
Just figure that everything you say and do will be observed and
maybe used against you. Those cameras outside that look like lamps will be able to hear as well as see.Search your clothes,
purses, debit cards, shoes and backpacks (if bought in the last three years) for rice-sized locator microchips.
Also, those curly-cue lightbulbs? Get them to the dump, out of your house. They are receptors for electromagnetic low frequency beams. If normal lightbulbs suddenly become unavailable, get
candles and parrafin-burning lamps.(Oil lamps.)
We need to embrace the neighbors we know and map out a plan for
survival and BARTER.
The new pharmaceuticals turn your brain into a homing beacon for
projects HAARP out of Alaska, and Woodpecker/Wormwood out of
Edwards Air Force Base in California, and there is one in Australia. Get off the drugs and eat more fat to avoid penetration of the ELF beams.They can cause pandemonium & kill you.
This “endgame” can only last for 3 1/2 years. The seventh seal
has been opened. We are in for the scariest times mankind has EVER witnessed. Love eachother,..there is strength in cooperative
numbers. Most importantly, embrace God.
Victor T Says:
July 4th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Well said Linda, unfortunately your statements completely leaves out the low class, and the mid-low class. They wont be able to afford any of the basic necessities like clean water to keep them alive. If they do gain such resources they won’t have any power, or anything worth bartering for.
boxer7 Says:
July 5th, 2008 at 3:00 am
For those who are interested in the real story on the oil issue do a google video on ‘the non energy crisis’ and prepared to be shocked. Wait until you find out who’s really making money on these gas prices and why they’re doing it.
Michael Says:
July 6th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
>Best to set up timed hydroponics to grow food indoors.

So long as the electrcity is affordable thats a good idea. With regards to politicians desiring attacks on iran – Same old sh*t, different day, different faces….
Neil c Says:
July 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
The neo-con think tank “New American century” say’s it all they have been planning this for years. They will attack Iran and Iran understandibly will defend itself, god help us all. We have some very evil men and women at the helm its time to tell everyone we know the truth no matter how crazy it sounds.
purple Says:
July 7th, 2008 at 8:23 am
They are sending 30,000 more troops to Iraq after the election. This is the start with the 120,000 they already have there. They say no perminate bases in N. Iraq. Well I have pics. I have been on one for two years but now am home. They are setting up for something big and War with Iran is it. They want to join the oil in Old parts of Russia with the Kuwaiti pipeline. If your 18-42 get ready for the draft our troops are over extended. All that money from the national debt will be called in by the blood of your children. Im retired and going off grid. Screw the non-believers. I have learn to much, our government sucks.
Blue Sun Says:
July 7th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Bush is already setting up a blockade of the Straits of Hormuz (a sea blockade is listed in international law as an aggressive act of war). For at least two years, the Bush administration has been funding, arming, and running terrorist groups committing murders and bombings within Iran. Groups like Mujahideen e-Khalq (MEK) and PJAK, the Iranian offshoot of the Kurdish terrorist group PKK are both committing terrorist acts in Iran at the behest of the Administraton. The MEK, who had been committing terrorist attacks in Iran for Saddam were originally captured in their camp north of Baghdad. After a long fight between Condi Rice and Dick Cheney, Cheney won and ordered Rumsfeld to rearm the MEK and send them into Iran, where they have been committing terrorist atrocities on a regular basis for years.

In addition, a radical Salafist (Wah’habist) Sunni group in Iran with ties to al Qaeda, Jundallah, is committing attrocities in Iran. This is not surprising as the Jundallah are graduates from the same extremist Pakistani madrassas as the Taliban. They are also getting American support. The Bushies have even begun to support another radical Salafist Sunni group, the Baluchis, who are also associated with Al Qaeda and are particularly fond of beheading heretics and infidels. Seymour Hersh, in this week’s New Yorker magazine points out that both Ramzi Yousef, planner of the 1993 WTC bombing and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, planner of 911, are Baluchis.

Worst of all, perhaps, is that covert U.S. special forces teams are entering Iran, kidnapping Iranian officials and military officers, and dragging them into Iraq for interrogation and torture.

In a below-the-radar sense, we are already at war with Iran. The Iranians know this, as does the rest of the Islamic world. Only here in America are these stories ignored by the major media.

If this continues, and especially if there is any sort of incident between an Iranian tanker and U.S. warships in the Straits of Hormuz, Iran will surely retaliate.

The Iranians’ actual power in that area is way out of proportion to ours. For example, all they would have to do is sink one third-party oil tanker, and the international marine insurance companies will make sure that all oil from that area of the world stops moving. Can you say $500/barrel oil, boys and girls?
R Arena Says:
July 8th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Iran wants to flood the world with cheap oil… Don’t nuke the people for trying to help us out. If the US invades or bombs Iran it will be WW3.
C. John Smith Says:
July 17th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
House Resoluton 362 is wrong.

Why should we oppose Iran obtaining nuclear weapons?

Why should we oppose any nation obtaining nuclear weapons?

Not only is it a violation of those nations right to develop their military,,, it is futile to do so.

Stopping the spread of Nuclear Weapons is like stopping the spread of any technology.The Internet is a good example. Sooner or later everyone is going to have access. This is a good thing. This is progress.

Mutually assured destruction kept the peace between the United States and the Soviet Union for decades. Mutually assured destruction made war obsolete because it made war unthinkable.

In the future, any conflict, anywhere on Earth will be able to become a nuclear inferno. Humanity will have no choice but to work towards peaceful compromise on every issue. Reason shall prevail as it has always done.

Imagine how much safer and peaceful our world shall become once everyone who wants an atomic bomb is able to have one.