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Before the US House of Representatives, November 30,
2010, on the resolution condemning North Korea
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.
Ron Paul
www.house.gov/paul
Visit Congressman Ron Paul's Web Site
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
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Published with the authorization of Dr. Paul.
Copyright Dr. Ron Paul
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