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Kathleen Wells: As a member of the
U. S. House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee, what is your take
on this issue of torture?
Congressman Ron Paul: Well, it's against
the law – both our law and international law. So, we shouldn't do it.
And I'm against it for personal, moral reasons. I think it's horrible. And
for practical reasons, I think it's absolutely worthless. And if we are
serious about getting information, if we use other techniques, we actually
get more information.
Kathleen Wells: So, you do believe
that we were committing torture in our interrogations in Guantanamo?
Congressman Ron Paul: I don't think the
pictures I've seen were fictitious – the ones that were released a year
or two ago. And, obviously, there are some more pictures of torture that they
draw more attention to because they refuse to release them, which means that
it must be a true indictment of what they were doing.
Kathleen Wells: What are your
thoughts on President Obama's decision to release the torture memos?
Congressman Ron Paul: I think he is
purely political. I think he has backed down on what he said. He was elected
for change and it is the same old stuff and he is as much of a neo-con now as
Bush was with this issue and other issues. The war has been expanded. He
continues with not closing down Guantanamo. There is probably, for as most
[sic] as we can tell, there is still secret rendition going on. We just moved
some of this process overseas. We are not going to be aware of it in detail.
Kathleen Wells: You feel President
Obama is a neo-con like Bush? You don't see a distinction between the two
administrations?
Congressman Ron Paul: The tone is different,
but the policies don't change. We are spreading the war. The war is
expanding. We are not prosecuting those that committed torture. Guantanamo is not going to be closed down. So, no, I don't see [a distinction between Bush
and Obama].
He [Obama] increased
the DOD [Department of Defense] budget. We surely could spend some of that
money at home where people are really hurting. But we increased the DOD
budget, I think, by 10-percent. I can't see any significant change in foreign
policy. The pretense in leaving Iraq was a mild pretense and I'm predicting
that's not going to happen. There are going to be troops in Iraq throughout this administration, I'm convinced.
Kathleen Wells: Why are you
convinced?
Congressman Ron Paul: Because I don't
think anyone wants to face the difficulties that might ensue. The problems
came from us being there and when we leave, the problems will probably
accelerate a bit. And then they will blame leaving for [causing] the problems
and, yet, the real problem was going in. So, I think the international
pressure that we get from various allies will be so great that we won't
leave. And just don't expect the policies to change.
It just goes along
with what I have said for years. Foreign policy does not change with
Republicans or Democrats. Overall, there is very little policy that changes.
There is a lot of debate and a lot of rhetoric, but things continue as they
do.
When Clinton was in,
the Republicans condemned his Somalia problem. Bush said he wasn't going to
be a nation builder and a policeman of the world and he gets in and he is
worse. Obama says Bush is terrible and gets in and all of a sudden, guess who
is cheering Obama on right now? People like [Senator] Lindsay Graham. The
real hawks of the Republican Party are sorta enjoying this right now. They figure they are winning
these fights.
Ron Paul
www.house.gov/paul
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other articles by Ron Paul
Congressman Ron Paul
of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in
politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited
constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound
monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. For more information
click on the Project Freedom website.
Published with the
authorization of Dr. Paul.
Copyright Dr. Ron
Paul
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