By Andy Sullivan
Thursday May 24, 2007
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Longshot Republican presidential candidate
Ron Paul on Thursday gave front-runner Rudy Giuliani a list
of foreign-policy books to back up his contention that attacks
by Islamic militants are fueled by the U.S. presence in the
Middle East.
"I'm giving Mr. Giuliani a reading assignment," the
nine-term Texas congressman said as he stood behind a stack
of books that included the report by the commission that examined
the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.
Giuliani was mayor of New York when Islamic militants slammed
two commercial airliners into the World Trade Center, a role
that has vaulted him to the front of the Republican presidential
pack despite his liberal social positions.
"I don't think he's qualified to be president," Paul
said of Giuliani. "If he was to read the book and report
back to me and say, 'I've changed my mind,' I would reconsider."
Paul advocates a limited U.S. foreign policy, including an
end to the war in Iraq and a reduction in troop levels abroad.
Paul said he was unfairly attacked during last week's debate
by 10 Republican presidential hopefuls, when Giuliani dismissed
his contention that U.S. policies in the Middle East had contributed
to the attacks in New York and Washington.
"I don't think I've ever heard that before, and I've
heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th," Giuliani
said to wild applause.
A spokeswoman for Giuliani derided Paul's latest comments.
"It is extraordinary and reckless to claim that the United
States invited the attacks on September 11th," Maria Comella
said in an e-mail.
"And to further declare Rudy Giuliani needs to be educated
on September 11th when millions of people around the world
saw him dealing with these terrorist attacks firsthand is just
as absurd."
OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM
Paul barely registers in opinion polls of Republicans hoping
to win their party's nomination to contest the November 2008
presidential election.
An obstetrician-gynecologist from the Houston area, Paul frequently
strays far outside the Republican mainstream.
He voted against the Iraq war resolution in 2002 and has proposed
abolishing the Homeland Security Department and diminishing
the Federal Reserve. His 1988 bid for president as the Libertarian
candidate drew just slightly more than 400,000 votes nationwide.
Paul said it was irresponsible of Giuliani and other leaders
to not examine the motivations of al Qaeda and other radical
Islamic groups.
Among the books on Paul's reading list were: "Dying to
Win," which argues that suicide bombers only mobilize
against an occupying force; "Blowback," which examines
the unintended consequences of U.S. foreign policy; and the
9/11 Commission Report, which says that al Qaeda leader Osama
bin Laden was angered by the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi
Arabia.
Another book on the list was "Imperial Hubris," whose
author appeared at the press conference to offer support for
Paul.
"Foreign policy is about protecting America," said
author Michael Scheuer, who used to head the CIA's bin Laden
unit. "Our foreign policy is doing the opposite."
A Giuliani campaign official could not confirm whether he
had read any of the books on Paul's list.
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