Peace Piper
01-13-2019, 04:40 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXg2gwktxY
Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii introduced the "Stop Arming Terrorists Act" this week. She talks to NPR's Scott Simon about the bill and how it relates to US involvement in Syria.
SIMON: Well, what about the argument, Representative Gabbard, that it's a big, messy world, and you just can't hope to keep your hands entirely clean if you're going to try and keep the world safe, and that, sometimes, strategic alliances have to be struck with some unlovely people? I mean, we certainly did that to survive in World War II.
GABBARD: Well, I'd like to just point directly to what is happening in Syria today, where we are providing - the United States is providing - this direct and indirect support to terrorist groups in order to overthrow the Syrian government. So we will end up with a situation where not only will the Syrian people be under greater human suffering and an even more dire situation. We will end up with al-Qaida now having far greater military capability, far greater strength and posing a greater threat not only to the region but to the United States and the rest of the world.
SIMON: Let me follow up on this, Representative Gabbard. Are you really holding the Syrian rebels more responsible for the death and destruction in Aleppo, for example, than the Assad regime?
GABBARD: I'm simply being a realist about the situation - and that the people in Syria would be in a far worse situation if al-Qaida took charge and took over Syria than they were before this effort to overthrow this regime began.
SIMON: I mean, the Assad regime has used chemical weapons and has committed what a lot of people consider to be war crimes against its own people. You really think the Syrian rebels would be worse?
GABBARD: My statement stands. If those who are calling for the removal of this regime are, in essence, accepting the fact that al-Qaida would take over that country, whether it's al-Qaida or ISIS or other terrorist groups - and for people to think that that would somehow improve the lives of the people there in Syria or that it would somehow better secure the American people - I think that's a crazy notion...more: https://www.npr.org/2016/12/10/505079126/hawaii-congresswoman-tulsi-gabbard-introduces-bill-to-halt-u-s-arms-supplies-to
Sounds like something Ron Paul would have said.
General Wesley Clark (2007) Wars Were Planned -Seven Countries In Five Years (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grX1lPAWW58
So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, "Are we still going to war with Iraq?" And he said, "Oh, it's worse than that." He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" -- meaning the Secretary of Defense's office -- "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." I said, "Is it classified?" He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, don't show it to me." And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, "You remember that?" He said, "Sir, I didn't show you that memo! I didn't show it to you!"
Wesley Clark (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGkFMho6Co
Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii introduced the "Stop Arming Terrorists Act" this week. She talks to NPR's Scott Simon about the bill and how it relates to US involvement in Syria.
SIMON: Well, what about the argument, Representative Gabbard, that it's a big, messy world, and you just can't hope to keep your hands entirely clean if you're going to try and keep the world safe, and that, sometimes, strategic alliances have to be struck with some unlovely people? I mean, we certainly did that to survive in World War II.
GABBARD: Well, I'd like to just point directly to what is happening in Syria today, where we are providing - the United States is providing - this direct and indirect support to terrorist groups in order to overthrow the Syrian government. So we will end up with a situation where not only will the Syrian people be under greater human suffering and an even more dire situation. We will end up with al-Qaida now having far greater military capability, far greater strength and posing a greater threat not only to the region but to the United States and the rest of the world.
SIMON: Let me follow up on this, Representative Gabbard. Are you really holding the Syrian rebels more responsible for the death and destruction in Aleppo, for example, than the Assad regime?
GABBARD: I'm simply being a realist about the situation - and that the people in Syria would be in a far worse situation if al-Qaida took charge and took over Syria than they were before this effort to overthrow this regime began.
SIMON: I mean, the Assad regime has used chemical weapons and has committed what a lot of people consider to be war crimes against its own people. You really think the Syrian rebels would be worse?
GABBARD: My statement stands. If those who are calling for the removal of this regime are, in essence, accepting the fact that al-Qaida would take over that country, whether it's al-Qaida or ISIS or other terrorist groups - and for people to think that that would somehow improve the lives of the people there in Syria or that it would somehow better secure the American people - I think that's a crazy notion...more: https://www.npr.org/2016/12/10/505079126/hawaii-congresswoman-tulsi-gabbard-introduces-bill-to-halt-u-s-arms-supplies-to
Sounds like something Ron Paul would have said.
General Wesley Clark (2007) Wars Were Planned -Seven Countries In Five Years (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grX1lPAWW58
So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, "Are we still going to war with Iraq?" And he said, "Oh, it's worse than that." He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, "I just got this down from upstairs" -- meaning the Secretary of Defense's office -- "today." And he said, "This is a memo that describes how we're going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran." I said, "Is it classified?" He said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, don't show it to me." And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, "You remember that?" He said, "Sir, I didn't show you that memo! I didn't show it to you!"
Wesley Clark (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGkFMho6Co