Giuliani's Foreign Affairs

In truth, Giuliani is currently involved in only one foreign affair, i.e. with Israel. Giuliani has been Israel's favorite candidate, (see previous blog "The Two Great Myths" 1/29/07), based on his refusal to accept a $10 million donation for 9/11 victims from a Saudi prince. This refusal was because the prince wanted to explain that the attack was related to our foreign policy, especially our support of the Israeli occupation. Giuliani echoed this in his response to Ron Paul in the 5/15 debate; clearly, Giuliani is incapable of entertaining the notion that our foreign policy could inspire Islamic terrorism. He must be blind as to the positive effect of the Iraq occupation on Al Qaeda recruitment.

Certainly, when Giuliani cleaned up New York City, he was justified in viewing crime in black and white, "good vs evil" terms. Law-abiding citizens are not to blame for muggings. Yet a knowledge of history does provide an understanding of why Americans are hated in the Arab/Muslim world. (See previous blogs"Why They Hate Us Parts 1-4" 1/05-1/08 /2006.) Sadly, Giuliani's knowledge comes from the neocons.

As pointed out by Peter Boyer in "The New Yorker" August 20,2007, p. 60, Giuliani has chosen as a senior foreign policy advisor arch-neocon Norman Podhoretz, who recently in "Commentary," "made the case for a unilateral American air assault on Iran." In "Foreign Affairs" Sept./Oct. 2007, Giuliani describes his foreign policy views. He, like Podhoretz, believes we are engaged in World War IV, a long war just beginning, in which we must destroy all enemies. He apparently believes that we should still be fighting in Vietnam: the problem was that we didn't stay long enough. He thinks that withdrawing from Lebanon in 1983 was also a mistake. Obviously he does not know that we were merely aiding Israel's invasion as well as entering into the Israel-induced civil war. (See previous blog "Iraq and Lebanon" 4/10/06.) He no doubt believes, along with the neocons, that we should have joined in Israel's repeat performance invasion of Lebanon last summer.

Patrick Buchanan ("Where the Right Went Wrong" p.51-52) lists the numerous countries that the neocons, including Podhoretz, regarded as "targets for destruction by America" and notes that the destruction list is identical to that compiled by Douglas Feith and Richard Perle in their strategy paper for Israel, "A Clean Break." (See previous blogs "Why Iraq? Parts 1-7" 1/15-1/21/06.) Finally, of course, Guiliani thinks we should forget about creating a Palestinian state. Rather than reading Podhoretz's book "World War IV," Giuliani should, as Ron Paul suggested, read "The 9/11/Commission Report" as well as "The Iraq Study Group Report."