Doug Henwood Talks

Candidate Paul assigns reading to Giuliani By Andy Sullivan 1 hour, 44 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Longshot Republican presidential candidate Ron
Paul (news, bio, voting record) 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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