Republican congressman is on our side about Iraq and Iran

[pstans]

Republican Representive Jim Leach from Iowa said some interesting things in an interview last week.

Glover: CONGRESSMAN, WE'VE JUST HAD ELECTIONS IN IRAQ. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS POINTED TO THE ELECTIONS AS A SUCCESS. AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE SAYING WITH A SUCCESSFUL ELECTION, IT'S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT THE TIMETABLE FOR LEAVING THE COUNTRY -- FOR AMERICAN TROOPS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. FIRST, YOUR REACTION TO THE ELECTIONS. WERE THEY A SUCCESS? AND TWO, DOES THAT MEAN IT'S TIME FOR US TO START THINKING ABOUT LEAVING?
Leach: ...MY ADVICE IS TO SYMBOLICALLY WITHDRAW A FEW TODAY. AND THEN AS THE ELECTIONS, BASED UPON THE NEW CONSTITUTION THAT'S GOING TO BE WRITTEN BY OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER AND THE ELECTION THAT WILL FOLLOW AFTER THAT, WE OUGHT TO BE PREPARED TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT WITHDRAWALS...THE MORE WE BECOME A MAGNET FOR INSTABILITY RATHER THAN A FORCE OF STABILITY. I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE THINKING THIS THROUGH VERY SERIOUSLY.

Leach: THERE'S A NEOCON MOVEMENT IN WASHINGTON THAT IS FOR THE CREATION OF SEMIPERMANENT BASING IN IRAQ FOR WHICH AMERICA WILL THEN BE ABLE TO PROJECT FORCE WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND WITHIN THE REGION TOWARDS SYRIA, TOWARDS IRAN, TOWARDS PALESTINE. I THINK THIS IS SUCH FRAIL LOGIC, I CAN'T TELL YOU. I THINK THIS HAS TO BE PUT ASIDE. IF WE THINK WE CAN USE IRAQ AS A STAGING GROUND FOR MILITARY ACTIVITY ON A LONG-TERM BASIS, I THINK WE'LL BE BRINGING UPON OURSELVES GREAT GRIEF WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND FAR GREATER GRIEF IN THE WORLD AND THAT THAT, AS MUCH AS ANYTHING, COULD HELP PRECIPITATE THIS JUDAEO CHRISTIAN VERSUS MUSLIM CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Yepsen: CONGRESSMAN, DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN?
Leach: I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE A GREATER MISTAKE TODAY. THERE'S THIS MODEL OF WHAT ISRAEL DID IN IRAQ TWENTY ODD YEARS AGO. I DON'T THINK IT FITS IRAN TODAY. IF WE ARE INVOLVED WITH MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN AS THE THIRD MUSLIM STATE IN WHICH WE HAVE INTERVENED DIRECTLY AT OUR CHOICE, THE OTHER SIDE IS GOING TO THINK THAT WE'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE PRECIPITATED THIS CLASH OF CIVILIZATION AND I THINK IT WILL BE VERY LARGE IN ITS REACTION. WE WILL BE CREATING FOREVER, AND BY FOREVER, FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OR TWO, AN ENEMY IN IRAN THAT YOU DON'T EXACTLY HAVE. I THINK NOW IS A TIME FOR EMPHASIS AND DIPLOMACY PROBABLY LED BY THE EUROPEANS AND, MOST OF ALL, A TIME TO IDENTIFY WITH THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM HAVE BEEN -- ALMOST TWO MILLION WERE EDUCATED IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE'S A RESERVOIR OF GOODWILL IN IRAN THAT DOESN'T EXIST IN A LOT OF COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

Here is the link the entire interview: http://www.iptv.org/iowapress/transcript_detail.cfm?ipS...

[peacetalksforall]

1. Tuesday Light and Logic brought by an Iowan Congressman.

What a rare Republican. Listen up world. There are only a few tyrants over here ; most of the people of the U.S. do not want to own you.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. I'm happy someone

is on our side! I just wish more people would listen to him. Maybe he can convience some other republicans and shed the light.

[KC21304]

2. Sounds so reasonable, so logical.

And I thank God for that now, but he let partisanship get the best of him when he went after Clinton like a bulldog and wouldn't let go when he was on the banking committee and the only thing to investigate at that point was a land deal in Arkansas.

I want to forgive him for that but I can't yet because I feel that is what made possible the Monica mess and the idiot we have in the White House.

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. I'm having trouble

getting past the way this is written. Why all caps? It is incredibly hard to read.

As for the content --- nice to hear, but what's he gonna DO about it.

[FreedomAngel82]

5. I think that's the real test

If he does action instead of just talking about it then we'll be good to go. If we show him some support in speaking out and taking action in Bush do you think he'd listen?