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Ron Paul Recruits Anonymous to Attack Rudy's Foreign Policy
May 22, 2007 3:37 PM
ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: Presidential candidate and Libertarian Republican Rep. Ron Paul will enlist the help of Mr. Anonymous --Michael Scheuer, an author critical of Presidents in both parties and the former head of the CIA's Osama Bin Laden unit -- to argue that America's Mayor needs to bone up on his recent history.
It's been a week since the Fox News presidential debate and Ron Paul is still playing up his tiff with Rudy Giuliani that night over whether US Foreign Policy, specifically the first Gulf war, led in some way to 9/11. Paul said it's common sense. Giuliani said the notion that US Foreign policy with regard to the Middle East generally, and Iraq specifically, led to 9/11 is poppycock.
Paul and Scheuer are going to have a Thursday event at the National Press Club Thursday to, facetiously, "educate former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Foreign Policy."
"They attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East [for years]. I think (Ronald) Reagan was right," Paul said. "We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. Right now, we're building an embassy in Iraq that is bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases. What would we say here if China was doing this in our country or in the Gulf of Mexico? We would be objecting?"
Giuliani said Paul was being absurd.
"That's really an extraordinary statement," Giuliani said. "That's really an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of Sept. 11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I have ever heard that before and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations for Sept. 11. I would ask the congressman withdraw that comment and tell us that he didn't really mean that."
Paul, however, dug up a passage from the 9/11 Commission Report the next day that backed his claim and shot off a press release the next day wondering if Giuliani had even read the report.
So goes the report: "His (Bin Laden) rhetoric selectively draws from multiple sources-Islam, history, and the region's political and economic malaise. He also stresses grievances against the United States widely shared in the Muslim world. He inveighed against the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's holiest sites. He spoke of the suffering of the Iraqi people as a result of sanctions imposed after the Gulf War...."
Giuliani has not backed down. He told Sean Hannity on Sunday that Paul's "statement that really shocked me."
"I never thought I'd hear something like that at a Republican debate. I actually didn't expect it at a Democratic debate. It was sort of the kind of thing that I remember like the Saudi prince saying, you know, the one who gave us $10 million, said American foreign policy had something to do with it, that had to be changed."
"I mean, it seemed like it was so off the wall," Giuliani added. "And there are so many of these conspiracy theories about September 11, to hear one coming from a Republican was very, very disappointing. So I thought I just had to step in, nobody else seemed to be doing it. And I seemed to — I had to step in, somebody had to correct this."
May 22, 2007 in Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (54)
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Well I don't know what to say except Rudy did not correct anything. Ron Paul was 100% correct in his statements and Rudy was 100% wrong.If anything Rudy has been playing up the incident with the help of most of the media. Its about time Congressman Paul set the record straight. The question is will the Main Stream Media even cover it. Michael Scheuer is a respected expert, so I hope the answer will be yes.
Posted by: NMCB3 | May 22, 2007 5:39:24 PM
I hope that ABC will cover this event. The American people deserve to hear the truth. Ron Paul's statement was based in facts, not blind patriotism. The fact that the so-called expert in 9/11 would know know these facts is what is outrageous.
Posted by: Damon Talbot | May 22, 2007 5:42:12 PM
I believe that, as a nation, we've never really discussed the attacks of 9/11. Perhaps the time has finally come to sit down, take a deep breath, and tackle the hard questions about that day. I hope ABC covers the "educating Rudy" event.
Posted by: Willem De Wit | May 22, 2007 5:53:13 PM
I Agree with the first two comments. I felt that the comments made by Rudy Giuliani at the Debate were just another display of this "Movie Actor" role that many politicians are taking. What happen to when it was what people said and did that mattered, not just a "Marketing" perception for the public? I found it quite interesting that Ron Paul doesn't seem to be making statements or rehearsed slogans that he thinks I want to hear, but just says what he is thinking. So I am looking forward to hearing what he has to say at this event. Please let us know where to tune in to get your coverage of what goes on. And as a previous user posted, is ABC going to cover this event?
Posted by: Shawn Krzyz | May 22, 2007 6:04:32 PM
It's time we face up to the truth of what Ron Paul had the courage to tell America, it's backed up by all the experts and it makes sense.
I fail to see how the Republicans will win with a pro-war, pro-torture candidate. Ron Paul has the courage, strength and experience to stand on firm ground against all odds, he is the only option to save the GOP.
Posted by: Bryan | May 22, 2007 6:13:01 PM
Head of CIA's bin laden unit, sound like he might know a little bit more than rudy on the subject.
If freedom was the only cause of terrorism like Rudy says, most of europe would already be in ashes. Especially amsterdam.
Posted by: Nate | May 22, 2007 6:14:56 PM
gee...I wonder who is more knowledgeable about Bin laden and the Islamist motivations for terroris: Rudy Giulianai or the former head of the CIA's "Bin Laden" unit? While Rudy was cheating on his wife and dressing in drag, the CIA was gathering strong intelligence. Rudy Giuliani needs a reality check and to lay off Ron Paul.
Posted by: Gene Trosper | May 22, 2007 6:58:04 PM
Ron Paul is clearly correct in his comments. It's obvious to anyone who talks to experts on Islam and reads what Al Qaida says, and especially Bin Laden's fatwas. Ron Paul told the truth and everybody is squirming.
Posted by: Lee Badragan | May 22, 2007 7:04:12 PM
Rudy is out of his mind if he doesn't believe our foreign policy contributed to the attacks. Ron Paul is the only candidate speaking the truth about foreign policy, monetary policy, and our loss of Liberty in general. We need this man to be our President.
Posted by: Scott | May 22, 2007 9:51:58 PM
This is some really great news!
Posted by: Mitch | May 22, 2007 9:54:10 PM
It is very encouraging to see ABC pick up on the fact that Michael Scheuer is backing Ron Paul and not Rudy Giuliani on the issue of foreign policy.
Posted by: Seer | May 22, 2007 9:58:43 PM
What is Giuliani doing talking about conspiracy theories? Of course the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy. In addition to reading the 9/11 report does he also need English vocabulary lessons?
Conspiracy: An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act.
Posted by: Frank Rizzo | May 22, 2007 10:00:13 PM
This is awesome. I hope someone somewhere covers this. It's about time Rudy, the neo-cons, and a lot of the general public learned the truth about why the Middle East hates the United States so much.
Posted by: Prashant Patel | May 22, 2007 10:02:26 PM
I agree 100% with Ron Paul's statements in the debate, not because Ron Paul said them, I didn't even know who he was before that debate, but because he spoke the TRUTH, something that has been severely lacking in the Republican Party as of late.
Rudy has nothing to back up his opinion but conjecture and political bs, Ron Paul's statements are backed up by 9/11 report. Ignoring his statements is foolish, but trying to silence him as some in the republican party have tried to do is criminal.
-Dave (a registered Texas Republican)
Posted by: David | May 22, 2007 10:02:29 PM
God I just want to see a 1-on-1 between the two. Honestly what "facts" are Giuliani's assessments based on? Ron Paul is a 10-term Congressman, he was in the Air Force, and is on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House. Meanwhile Giuliani was just a damned mayor.
Posted by: Kylan | May 22, 2007 10:08:43 PM
Please cover this event! I want Rudy to learn what really caused the 9/11 tragedy.
Posted by: James | May 22, 2007 10:21:08 PM
ABC, please cover this event at the National Press Club!
I would love to hear Ron Paul proved right on the national media!
Posted by: Ryan Cain | May 22, 2007 10:31:59 PM
Fox news Sean Hannity a conservative? has been licking the boots of Rudy, but he should have much more in common with Ron Paul, best by far on taxes and spending in the GOP field. Ron supported going after the people that attacked us, but not going into Iraq, who posed no threat to US. A constitutional position. He kowtows to the liberal Guiliani and shouts down the conservative Ron Paul. What are Sean's priorities? A conservative principal has always been Actions have consequences...
It amazes me the indignation of Rudy and the Fox News people, implying that we do only good things in the world but soon afterwards all but 2 candidates were fumbling over themselves to convince the viewers that we can torture people if it might result in good intel. Of corse, we can't call it torture. Sorry, the ends do not justify the means.
Posted by: Paul w | May 22, 2007 10:32:14 PM
Anyone why was Ron Paul left off the ABCNews voting poll last week?
As much noise as Paul is making lately; you'd think he'd on the polls.
Besides; he's the only libertarian running as GOP this time, so he has a lot of support from that element alone.
Posted by: RC | May 22, 2007 10:32:37 PM
I still can't get over the juxtaposition of the quotes from Rudy Giuliani:
"I don't think I have ever heard that before"
and
"It was sort of the kind of thing that I remember like the Saudi prince saying, you know, the one who gave us $10 million, said American foreign policy had something to do with it"
Posted by: Nick | May 22, 2007 10:40:10 PM
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