Rand Paul: Aid fueling Œwar on Christianity¹
By: Katie Glueck
October 11, 2013 10:49 AM EDT
Sen. Rand Paul on Friday detailed his opposition to sending foreign aid to many places in the Middle East, arguing that doing so will fuel a ³worldwide war on Christianity.²

³We are now arming Islamic rebels who are allied with Al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11,² Paul (R-Ky.) said, speaking to the Values Voter Summit. ³Does that make any sense at all? American tax dollars should never be spent to prop up a war on Christianity. But that¹s what¹s happening now across the globe.²

Paul said that in places like Egypt and Syria, American aid is assisting radical Islamic groups that target Christians. He has often clashed with members of his party, such as Arizona Sen. John McCain, over foreign aid.

³We send a billion dollars to Egypt, Pakistan,² he said. ³We put new Š regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now we¹re sending arms to Š rebels in Syria. In Egypt a mob attacked our embassy, burned our flag. I don¹t know about you, but I¹ve had about enough.²
To cheers, he continued, ³I say not one penny more to any country that would burn the American flag.²
Paul, whose critics accuse him of promoting isolationism, was careful to note that sometimes military action is warranted. But he argued that it can also backfire.
³We were right to go to war after 9/11,² he said to applause. ³There are times when military action is justified and necessary Š but military actions can, at times, enable² radicalism.
(PHOTOS: Rand Paul¹s career)
Speaking to a deeply conservative audience, Paul pointed to the Boston Marathon bombings as evidence that there is a war on Christianity, noting that no mosques were targeted. He also stressed that most of Islam is peaceful, but called for a condemnation of radicalism.
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