The vote on the bill was 403-11. Antiwar.com news editor Jason Ditz writes that the final sanction vote will likely see a similar tally. The heroic 11 Representatives who took a stand for humanitarianism and peace included 7 Democrats and 4 Republicans, including of course Ron Paul.
In his speech on the House floor opposing the bill, Dr. Paul urged Congress to turn back from their senseless and baseless "push for war on Iran." Indeed, Dr. Paul went so far as to say that "a vote for sanctions on Iran is a vote for war against Iran."
According to Ditz, "The measure would attempt to block companies across the world from doing business with Iran in importing gasoline and other vital goods Iran does not produce domestically, a move with has been designed to “cripple” Iran’s economy in retaliation for refusing to abandon its civilian nuclear program."
Dr. Paul pointed out that, "The sanctions in this bill, and the blockade of Iran necessary to fully enforce them, are in themselves acts of war according to international law."
Is this really what Congress wants, what the American people want? A war with Iran? Another war in the Middle East? In his speech, Dr. Paul talked about the eerie parallels between this current bill and the lead-up to the Iraq invasion. Severe sanctions have many times been precursors to war. The UN securities council ratcheted up sanctions on Iraq in the years and months leading up to the 2003 invasion, and FDR cut off gasoline imports to Japan in 1941 in an attempt to provoke an attack.
What good could possibly result from such a barbaric blockade? How would we expect the U.S. government to react should some foreign power cut off our oil supply? It doesn't take much imagination to foresee the swift and violent retribution that would be visited upon such a maneuver.
In the midst of all the war propaganda, Ron Paul reminds that, "Iran, a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has never been found in violation of that treaty. Iran is not capable of enriching uranium to the necessary level to manufacture nuclear weapons. According to the entire US Intelligence Community, Iran is not currently working on a nuclear weapons program."
Dr. Paul leaves us with a grim warning: "This legislation, whether the House or Senate version, will lead us to war on Iran."
Ron Paul has played the role of prophet more than once. I pray that Congress and the American people will heed him this time before it is too late.
UPDATE: here is a video of Dr. Paul's speech on the floor of the House:
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