Thaddeus McCotter - Israel
Last Updated: Aug 30, 2011
The Valley Patriot
In August of 2011, Congressman McCotter was interviewed by the Valley Patriot in Concord, New Hampshire. He was asked about a nuclear Iran and how that would affect Israel and possible US action.
Tom: When Ron Paul was asked: If Iran dropped a nuclear bomb on Israel would he defend Israel? He said: “No! Why should I?” Your thoughts?
McCotter: The problem with Ron is that if you seek to be liked rather than respected you will be neither. What Ron misses is that our very existence as a free people makes us a target. You have to realize that the tyrants and the terrorists who are oppressing their own people know that the more successful we are here with liberty and self-government, they will have to do something about it there. Because, otherwise their own people will start demanding it. You saw the Soviet Union go into the trash can of history not too long ago. Now, you are seeing the Jasmine revolution in China, the Green revolution in Iran. So, in the age of globalization where you can talk to anyone in the world with a blackberry or a laptop, there’s no fortress America anymore. The people who will kill your allies will eventually kill you! We’ve already seen this. What Iran will do with a nuclear weapon is continue to export terror by using that nuclear deterrent against anyone trying to stop them. That would make for a hellacious world. This will not only impair American security but cost American lives. It will also impair our prosperity because without security there is no free market, our ability to trade with other partners. We will be under a greater threat from these regimes. You can’t just say you don’t care what happens in other countries. The world is getting smaller whether we like it or not. So, to me, you have to defend your allies or you will have no allies. As the United States, we cannot abandon our allies over there or your next.
Tom: So how would you defend Israel?
McCotter: Number one is we have to make clear that the Unite States’ strategic partnership with Israel is solid and strong, and they know that if they are threatened we will have their back. Let’s face it, they are the only real democracy in the Middle East. We have to support with economic and peaceful means, the revolutions in Iran and Syria where they want to get rid of the Assad regime, and the Tehran regime just like Reagan did with the Soviet Union. The way to avoid war and debilitate terrorism is to have free people collapse these rogue regimes that support terror, and govern their own lives with free markets and democracy. Which is an opportunity we blew in Egypt with this administration not being concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood and Imam’s coming in and the precipitous removal Mubarak.
Lincoln said that by expanding liberties for others we ensure our own democracy. I’m not talking about military action in Iran or Syria, we didn’t use that against the Soviet Union.
Tom: If it came to it, would you be willing to use the military to go into Iran as we did in Iraq to depose the Muslim Mullahs?
McCotter: : I don’t like to play hypotheticals because it assumes your policies have failed.
Tom: But, if you win you will be taking over for a president whose policies are failing.
McCotter: Yes, they are failing. But I am talking about the policy I laid out of supporting those freedom movements like in Iran and China and Syria and reversing the direction they are going in because their influence is expanding. If you don’t do that you end up in a very lonely and much more dangerous world. You can’t just turn a blind eye to what is happening in the rest of the world. It won’t work now, any more than it did in the 1930’s. When people were saying “just let Europe go under, it can’t be saved and why should we care?” Think about all the trade and liberty and advancement of freedom because eventually the United States didn’t do that. We had people who understood what we had to do. But there was so much more we could have done earlier, like kick Hitler out of the Rhineland when he was vulnerable. If we had called his bluff, think of all the lives that would have been saved.
Now, in the age of globalization you can’t just sit back and say “this won’t affect us,” of course it will. Remember the first country the Nazi’s invaded was their own.
September 2001 was a wakeup call, it was this generations Pearl Harbor. We were hit at home by people who wanted to kill themselves, willing to kill their children and use any means to kill you and your family. They did it here. It’s not as if they are going to go away if we just bring all our troops home and abandon our allies. You can’t walk away from something that’s going to follow you home. I mean, I like Ron Paul we just have a difference of opinion. He’s a very nice man. The thing I like about Ron is that he is genuine. He sincerely believes what he is saying. He gets raked over the coals all the time, but he is sincere.
Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation
Resolution relating to Israel - Cosponsor
Recognizing the 62nd anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, and reaffirming unequivocal support for the alliance and friendship between the United States and Israel.
Resolution recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza. - Cosponsor
Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
America Stands with Israel Act - Cosponsor
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States: (1) supports Israel's right to defend itself; (2) supports Israel's naval blockade of Gaza; and (3) should oppose any investigation by the United Nations (U.N.) into the flotilla incident (involving the May 2010 Israeli interception of ships carrying supplies to Gaza).
Palestinian Statehood - Cosponsor
Supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral measures to declare or recognize a Palestinian state, and for other purposes.
United States-Israel Rocket and Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act - Cosponsor
Authorizes the President to provide assistance to the government of Israel for the procurement, maintenance, and sustainment of the Iron Dome Short Range Artillery Rocket Defense System for purposes of intercepting short-range rockets, missiles, and mortars launched against Israel.
Israel and Iran - Cosponsor
Condemns the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its: (1) threats to annihilate the United States and Israel; (2) support of international terrorism; and (3) incitement of genocide of the Israeli people. Supports using all means to persuade the government of Iran to stop building and acquiring nuclear weapons. Reaffirms the U.S. bond with Israel and pledges to work with the government of Israel and the people of Israel to ensure that their nation receives critical economic and military assistance, including missile defense capabilities, needed to address the Iranian threat. Supports Israel's right to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate nuclear threats posed by Iran.
Israel and Hamas - Cosponsor
Condemning the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations, and for other purposes.
Mahmoud Abbas and Israel - Cosponsor
Urges Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Chairman of his Fatah party, to officially abrogate the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism. Condemns the continuing existence of these articles as part of the Fatah Constitution.
References
[1] Website: The Valley Patriot Article: An Interview with Presidential Candidate Thaddeus McCotter Author: CHRISTINE MORABITO & TOM DUGGAN Accessed on: 08/30/2011
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