By JUANA SUMMERS, May 19, 2011
Politico" -- The helicopters that landed in Abbottabad won’t be the last to put American troops on the ground in Pakistan, says Rep. Ron Paul.


Calling the relationship between the United States and Pakistan an “impossible situation,” the Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he sees an occupation of even greater scale than Afghanistan on the horizon.

“I see the whole thing as a mess, and I think that we are going to be in Pakistan,” he said. “I think that’s the next occupation and I fear it. I think it’s ridiculous, and I think our foreign policy is such that we don’t need to be doing this.”

And Paul doesn’t have high hopes for that mission, if it happens.

“It will probably be very unsuccessful,” he said.

Paul, a noted non-interventionist, said the United States has created a civil war in Pakistan and violated the country’s national security.

He also addressed the idea of conspiracy theories popping up about bin Laden and the raid.

“How many stories have we heard already about the killing of bin Laden,” Paul asked. “I mean, people are supposed to know what their government’s doing. If you ask me exactly what happened, I have no idea because I’ve heard so many stories.”


Asked by “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski if he had just floated a conspiracy theory himself, Paul flatly said “no.”

“I think the inept policy invites people to think about conspiracy theories because we don’t get all the evidence,” Paul said. “I think there will be plenty of conspiracy theories because we’re presenting facts that we’re changing on almost a daily basis.”