Newt Gingrich What was Newt's position on Israel bombing Iraq's nuclear sites?

[NaturalMystic]

Just wondering ?

 

[bluesc]

They can do what they want, and if anyone objects, we will put 100,000 boots on the ground and obliterate civilization in their nation.

 

[CJLauderdale4]

It was the same ol' dribble of "Israel is an important ally in a region where democracy doesn't exist" .... "we need to protect our allies and our interests in the region"...

blah, blah, blah..

His stance on Iran is neo-con too, and like all neo-cons, it has no direct relationship to Israel, but the typical fearmongering of "what if" Iran blows up an American city. Israel is just a bullet point in the list of reasons to bomb Iran.

 

[ILUVRP]

America has one ally in the world , thats England

as far as Isreal , don't forget USS Liberty

 

[cucucachu0000]

wasnt there some sort of vote in congress repremanding isreal or something? maybe theres a record of the way gingrich voted.... any body know what im talking about?

 

[Valli6]

wasnt there some sort of vote in congress repremanding isreal or something? maybe theres a record of the way gingrich voted.... any body know what im talking about?

Yes. In 1981, Israel attacked a nuclear reactor in Iraq. Most of congress voted to condem this act (violation of Iraq's sovereignty, etc.) Ron Paul was 1 of a few republicans that disagreed. Paul said Israel should not have to answer to America for how it defends itself. Briefly discussed here at 1:24:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZpL8F4FgU#t=1m24s

 

[cucucachu0000]

Any chance gingrich was in congress at this time?

 

[kylejack]

It happened on June 7, 1981.

I ran a Google News search and didn't find any news stories about Gingrich commenting.

May 29, 1981–Dec 31, 1981

Your search - iraq gingrich - did not match any documents.

Newt was elected in 1978.

 

[Valli6]

You can find this out by searching here, but personally I find this site difficult to manuever, because of the search criteria they want; ie they want bill number, congress number, name of bill's sponsor - rather than just date and key words.

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

What number of congress was in session in 1981? (Advance search asks for this)
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?&n=BSS&c=101

update (Just found that answer here http://thomas.loc.gov/home/faqlist.html#10)
1977-1978 95th
1979-1980 96th
1981-1982 = 97th Congress
1983-1984 98th

update Just found this on the fAQ page

THOMAS has the Congressional Record and full text of legislation available from 1989 (101st Congress) to the present. In addition, THOMAS has summaries (not full text) of legislation from 1973 (93rd Congress).

The Library of Congress also has historical legislative information available in its American Memory collections. A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates 1774-1875 provides a century's worth of congressional proceedings, statutes, and other information.

Legislative texts and documents prior to 1989 may be found in print form at Federal Depository Libraries.

 

[kylejack]

Yeah, the House roll call thing only goes back to 1991 unless you do a specific search.

 

[Canderson]

I googled it and can't find record of any vote.

 

[coffeewithchess]

I googled it and can't find record of any vote.

Same here. I have searched for a few hours on this, and failed to find any evidence of the vote online, and it's not even in RP's "A Foreign Policy of Freedom." book, which dates back into the 80s with his quotes/speeches.

So, if the campaign could find that vote, that would be very telling as a way to show, "RP supports Israel, before the GOP did..."

 

[kylejack]

I googled it and can't find record of any vote.

I found a few public comments. Seems as though some were condemning and some were not.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=5255,3884905&dq=house+condemn+israel&hl=en

 

[kylejack]

Abstract (Document Summary)

The United States and Iraq agreed yesterday on a Security Council resolution that would condemn Israel for the June 7 attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor, but not punish the Jewish state.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun...c=U.S.,+Iraq+agree+on+resolution&pqatl=google

 

[Fletch8]

You can find this out by searching here, but personally I find this site difficult to manuever, because of the search criteria they want; ie they want bill number, congress number, name of bill's sponsor - rather than just date and key words.

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

Hi Valli,

I have searched and I am starting to think the House did not vote on it, perhaps it was just a UN vote and Ron Paul was one of few to speak against that vote.

I have emailed Jack Hunter and Jose Cohen for this very issue and have not heard back as of yet.

I think the memory hole is at work on this. Perhaps the waybackmachine is our only hope, I may have to subscribe to a newspaper with achieves that go back to 1981 on line.

I hope someone can find it, knowing Newt, I am sure he did not keep his mouth closed during this event.

Fletch

 

[kylejack]

The articles I'm finding don't have Reagan condemning it so much as saying that it may have violated an arms deal. Part of the deal was that F16s provided by America could be used for defensive purposes only. Reagan concedes that they may have considered the move defensive.

 

[cucucachu0000]

Aperrently we delayed delivery of 4 f 16s too there has to be a vote record for that.

 

[Valli6]

United Nations Security Council Resolution 487

Fletch8
You're right - it's United Nations Security Council Resolution 487 June 19, 1981

United Nations Security Council Resolution 487, adopted unanimously on June 19, 1981, having noted representations from Iraq and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Council condemned an attack by Israel on a IAEA-approved nuclear site in Iraq.

The resolution went on to call for a cessation of hostile activities, entitled Iraq to claim for compensation, and urged Israel to place its nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.

Background
Main article: Operation Opera
In the late 1970s, Iraq purchased an "Osiris class" nuclear reactor from France. Israeli military intelligence assumed this was for the purpose of plutonium production to further an Iraqi nuclear weapons program, in spite of it being built within the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under the inspection regime of the IAEA.

Israeli intelligence also believed that the summer of 1981 would be the last chance to destroy the reactor without exposing the Iraqi civilian population to nuclear fallout. After that point, the reactor would be loaded with nuclear fuel.

On June 7, 1981, a squadron of Israeli F-16A fighter aircraft, with an escort of F-15As, bombed and heavily damaged the Osirak reactor as part of Operation Opera.

This resolution was passed following 10 Security Council meetings about the incident and Israel's nuclear weapons policy,[1] and specifically called for Israel to put its own facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA.

Review
In May 2009, the Iraqi parliament's Committee on Foreign Relations started taking steps to force Israel to pay reparation for the damage caused by the 1981 attack. This action was based on Resolution 487.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_487

Maybe they did a "sense of the congress" type thing?

 

[Birdlady]

Yes, from what I can see there were both Senate and House hearings, but it looks as if the reprimanding was handled by the UN.

Here's a wiki on it, which might help some of you to track down other sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

 

[Fletch8]

We know Newt did not keep his mouth shut unless there was a coma I am unaware of in his life.

We need to find out what he said. This could be very useful information. I searched youtube as well, nothing.

Fletch