The unfortunate reality of reality is that it is clear cut nor is it black and white.
As per former secretary of treasury Paul O'Niel the decision to go to war was made while George Bush was President Elect, before he took office. The basis, from Mr. O'Niel's observation was the idea developed by Rice, Cheney, Rumsfield and Bush that "rouge nations" were the greatest threat to US supremecy over the world. The aleged idea was that overwhleming force used against a "rouge nation" would serve to discourage the 'rouge nations' 'rouge' behavior. The decision to target Iraq over other options was made with out O'Niel's involvment so he could not comment on that rational, but the decision was made. Reasons to justify it were then sought out by the adminstration, CIA cheif Tenent was the main party responsible for finding cause to wage the war that Bush and his closest advisors had already set there mind on having. One of the largest problems I have with this assesment is Afghanistan, if the goal had been to set an example then Afghanistan should have been sufficient. The agenda was not to set an example, the agenda was to invade Iraq. The most absurd reality, is that the result was the exact oposite of the aleged desired effect. With the armed forces bogged down in Iraq, and the US Army proportedly broken those 'rouge nations' have become more emboldened. Iran stepped up its enrichment program and is unshakably defiant, North Korea had its flare up of defiance, China has become more assertive in its claim of dominion over Taiwan. Mr. O'Niel often pondered the fact that the discussion was always how will we go to war with Iraq and never why. Regaurdless of wether the agenda was deterance or not, what is clear is that it was not clear and presetn danger, nor eminant threat that promted the war in Iraq. I could go on and on about my own Senetor, Carl Levon the senior member of the Armed Forces Comitte in the Senate how ever I thought the thoughts of a former high level Bush aid and long time Republican would be of more value. --- In [email protected], <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Rep. Paul has made a logical and thoughtful argument against what he believes to be an initiation of aggression in Iraq. His stance is principled. The only question to me is whether or not the conflict in Iraq is a case of legitimate reaction to a credible threat of aggression or not. No one has been able to make a clear cut case in either direction. > > BWS > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Eric Dondero Rittberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Saturday, June 17, 2006 1:22 pm > Subject: [Libertarian] Ron Paul ex-aide's panties in a wad over war! > > > ********************************************* > > Libertarian Republican Political Report > > by Eric Dondero > > 06-17-06 > > ******************************************** > > > > Editor's Note - Thanks to Aaron Bitterman for sending this along > > to > > us. (I've been in Montana working for the Property Rights > > Initiative, and have not had access to the Houston media). > > > > It saddens me greatly to see Ron Paul taking the position he is > > taking on the War in Iraq. As many of you know I served as Ron's > > Travel Aide in his 1988 Libertarian Presidential Campaign. I then > > went on to serve as his Campaign Coordinator in his 1996 > > Congressional run, and Senior Aide in his Congressional office > > from 1997 - 2003. I resigned from Ron's employ in 2003, mostly due to > > our severe differences on foreign policy. But since then, I've > > still > > respected his views on such matters. > > > > However, the other day, driving through Western Montana I caught a > > CBS News Report. Bob Schieffer led into the report with something > > to the effect; "but not all Republicans agree that the War in Iraq > > was a good idea..." What followed were virulent Anti-War comments > > by Ron Paul on the House Floor. > > > > It's one thing to be an Anti-War Libertarian. It's quite another > > to > > be used by the Leftist Media as a stooge against Pro-Freedom > > values. The authoritarian Left is the enemy of freedom. It is > > quite sad indeed that Ron Paul fails to see that. He is letting > > himself be used by the enemy - CBS, CNN, the Houston Chronicle, et.al. > > > > I believe it's time to declare Jeff Flake (or Dana Rohrabacher) as > > the new Champion of Freedom and the libertarian Republican movement. > > > > And maybe it's time that someone I regard as an advocate of real > > libertarianism, who supports the War on Islamo-Fascism, runs > > against Ron for the Congressional seat here in Texas. > > > > > > -Eric Dondero Rittberg > > > > > > > > June 15, 2006 > > > > Saving the GOP from itself: Congressman fights to restore party's > > traditions > > > > By SAMANTHA LEVINE | HOUSTON CHRONICLE > > > > WASHINGTON - It's not that Rep. Ron Paul, one of only six > > Republicans publicly > > against the war in Iraq, is estranged from the party, he said > > Thursday, it's > > that the party is estranged from its ideals. > > > > "The Republican leadership is not in sync with Republican > > traditions" that > > have historically valued a non-interventionist foreign policy, > > said > > Paul, the > > Lake Jackson lawmaker who voted against the 2002 resolution > > authorizing the use > > of force in Iraq. > > > > Even Bush, Paul noted, had once been critical of former President > > Clinton's > > involvement of U.S. troops in Kosovo and Somalia. > > > > "Now, I think Republicans have slipped and become more like > > Democrats," Paul > > said Thursday. "Not only have they drifted into a conflict > > overseas, > > but it was > > a pre-emptive war." > > > > "I am doing my best," Paul added, "to save the Republicans from > > themselves." > > > > The nine-term lawmaker is a Republican by registration and a > > Libertarian by > > philosophy. He is known for voting against most legislation on the > > grounds that > > it oversteps constitutional limits. > > > > His comments came as the House debated a GOP resolution that > > linked > > support > > for the Iraq war with support for the global war on terror. > > > > Paul, who represented Galveston and a suburban/rural swath of > > southeast Texas, > > deemed the proceedings little more than a political sham designed > > to > > bully > > members of Congress into backing the war. > > > > The American people "will see through it as a resolution with no > > substance," > > he said. "It's pretty clear that the country is much more in my > > camp > > now. They > > are not happy with Iraq." > > > > The resolution essentially advocates "endless war and endless > > occupation," > > Paul said. > > > > He tried unsucessfully to persuade GOP leaders to include in the > > debate > > consideration of a resolution that would pressure Bush to develop > > a > > plan to > > bring troops home. > > > > Paul has little hope that the United States will succeed in spreading > > democracy in Iraq as long as U.S. forces remain in the struggling > > nation. > > > > "Our presence there is one of the sources of the problem," he said. > > "Occupation rallies the (opposing) troops and undermines any > > overtures towards > > the West." > > > > Like the rest of the House, Paul is up for re-election this fall. > > He > > faces > > Democratic cattleman Shane Sklar of Edna, a former congressional > > aide. > > > > Paul said his anti-war stance gets a good deal of support from > > Democrats and > > Independents in his district, though some Republicans question his > > loyalty to > > the GOP. > > > > "I don't think about what's best for the Republican party," Paul > > said. "I > > think about what is best." > > > > > > > > Libertarian Republicans > > > > Fiscally Conservative, Socially Tolerant & Pro-Defense! > > > > Dondero is a US Navy Veteran, former Libertarian Party National > > Committeeman, > > fmr. Senior Aide to US Congressman Ron Paul R-TX, and Founder of > > the > > Republican > > Liberty Caucus. He is Editor of the Libertarian Republican > > Political > > Report, > > which covers insider news on mainstream libertarians running for > > political > > office. To subscribe send an email to ericdondero@ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ------------------ -- > > ~--> > > Something is new at Yahoo! Groups. Check out the enhanced email > > design.http://us.click.yahoo.com/zHUd1C/gOaOAA/cUmLAA/KlSolB/TM > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > -~-> > > > > ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian > > Yahoo! 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