Gingrich criticizes U.S. Mid-East policy

By: Naureen Khan
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks in the Fox News/Google GOP Debate at the Orange County Convention Center on September 22, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.

(Credit: Phelan M. Ebenhack-Pool/Getty Images)

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Saturday that the "grotesque failure" of current U.S. policy in the Middle East may have resulted in an "anti-Christian spring."

The former speaker of the House claimed that the number of Christians in Iraq fell from 1.2 million to 500,000 since the American invasion in 2003, and that Christianity is under assault elsewhere in the region.

"This is why the current strategy in the Middle East is such a total grotesque failure," Gingrich told about 200 people gathered at the Chesterfield Inn. "People say, 'Oh, isn't this great, we're having an Arab spring.' Well, I don't know, I think we may in fact be having an anti-Christian spring. I think people should take this pretty soberly."

Gingrich was referring to the recent domino-effect uprisings that are challenging longtime autocratic regimes in the Middle East, which has become known as the Arab spring. As president, Gingrich said, "I would actively try to defend religious liberty across the planet, including in Egypt and Iraq."

The Arab spring began this year, long after Christians began fleeing Iraq in the wake of the U.S. invasion. And, pro-democracy activists in Egypt blame pro-military forces for inciting attacks on Coptic churches as a way of creating division between Christians and Muslims and tightening the military's grip on power by allowing it to continue emergency martial law.

Naureen Khan
Naureen Khan covers the 2012 presidential campaign for CBS News and National Journal.
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by danwindham October 31, 2011 12:56 AM EDT

So what's the problem with a shrinking of Christians in the region, or the growing influence of non-christian groups in the past year? Gingrich does everything except come right out and say that Muslims are bad and that Christians are the only good people. Come on. I'm christian but I know that other religions should be respected. So no, Gingrich, it's not a failure to have christian numbers shrink in Iraq because that has nothing to do with our purpose there. It's not "sobering" to see that many of the groups clamoring for more voice across the middle east and Africa are based in Islam-- it's almost expected. When a dictator rules over a people for many many years, he usually is less religious that you think (Syria's secular dictatorship), so the frustrated masses looking for a say in government would include those influenced by religion. But Gingrich wouldn't know anything about being influenced by religion, would he.

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by Jim1900 October 31, 2011 5:21 AM EDT: Good points. Our purpose in Iraq was originally to find WMDs. When that didn't work, the Republicans said it was to get rid of Saddam. Now it is to ensure a certain number of Christians.

Whoever said that the Republicans don't like quotas?

by cloopy October 30, 2011 2:29 PM EDT

say what u may about speaker gingrich,but if american voters really want obama out of the whitehouse,newt would wipe the floor w/obama,newt is tough as hell,yes gingrich has negatives,but obama got elected right? in the 90s speaker gingrich ran the republican congress and was hugely instrumental in pushing pres clinton to turn the things around

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by Jim1900 October 30, 2011 2:54 PM EDT: Go out and do everything you can to get him nominated.


by gadfly65 October 30, 2011 11:56 AM EDT: ...and don't overlook this fact that the article mentions in passing:

"The Arab spring began this year, long after Christians began fleeing Iraq in the wake of the U.S. invasion."

Newt and the rest of the GOP want you to think that anti-Christian violence is a creation of Obama administration policies, when in fact it has been simmering for centuries, and George W. Bush kick started it. Obama just continued Bush's Middle East intervention, but in a less costly and more effective way. Republicans are embarrassed by the contrast between his success and W's ham-handed tinkering, so they're revving up the propaganda machine to paint our current foreign policy negatively.; Reply to this comment

by gadfly65 October 30, 2011 11:43 AM EDT

They're Muslim countries; why shouldn't they have the right to discriminate against Christians just as conservatives here want to discriminate against Muslims? We have no right to say how they conduct their internal affairs.

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by gadfly65 October 30, 2011 11:59 AM EDT: No, I don't support that, so, let's allow the construction of that Muslim community center in New York that caused you and your ilk to foam at the mouth with hatred.

by ddaryl1 October 30, 2011 11:29 AM EDT

who the hell is America to force christian policy anywhere anytime for any reason.

Separation of church and state.. that means Newt and any Christian that agrees with what he is saying is a problem and needs to be dealt with.

America has no business forming political policy regarding a religion

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by 2happy2ride October 30, 2011 1:37 PM EDT: Apparently you have neither read nor have an understanding of US history concerning our founding documents. If you have ever visited any government building in our nation's capital, you would NOT see any such separation.
Without faith, from whom do you get a conscience, your morals or ponder important decisions? From whom do receive your inalienable rights, government? If so, then government can take them away and they are no longer inalienable.

by boatdocster October 30, 2011 11:15 AM EDT

With "False Christians" like Neutered, is it any wonder why the Middle East wants to become Muslim??

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by ddaryl1 October 30, 2011 11:31 AM EDT: I support the USA staying the hell out of any conflict... We're broke remember republic-crazy-ass-SOB's


by wdrussell1 October 30, 2011 9:35 AM EDT: When evil Saddam was in charge Christians lived in relative safety in Iraq. As safe as anybody could be with Saddam.

So America fixed that problem.; Reply to this comment

by tsigili October 30, 2011 9:06 AM EDT

You will never change Islamists. They will always be violent, they will always be intolerant of other religions, and the world will have to contend with their extremism, for decades to come.

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by Jim1900 October 30, 2011 9:24 AM EDT: You will never change the right-wingers who want oil from Muslim lands, and are willing to engage in whatever wars are necessary to get it.


by danwindham October 31, 2011 1:05 AM EDT: tsigili ^ intolerant. its a shame that 1.5 Billion people are so, so violent //scsm

by shurch4truth October 30, 2011 7:52 AM EDT

Newt is such a fraud...he became Catholic thinking it would rally Catholics in the John Kennedy tradition and get him elected the second Catholic president...as a life-long Catholic, I'm not interested, Newt

...you don't exactly portray compassion

I heard a story that a news reporter saw you in church reading a novel....say it isn't true, Newt.

Your canned response to why you jumped from wife to wife is pathetic and insulting.....you put the responsibility on God for what you did and not on yourself....

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by doneinone October 30, 2011 8:15 AM EDT: And Obama claims to be a Christian but has more ties to the Muslism community than Muhummand Atta did.


by doneinone October 30, 2011 10:13 PM EDT: Rafterman
Here is a few I can remember of the top of my head
1. Al mansour- this one is the Muslim believed to have funded Obamas Harvard education.
2. Rashid Khalidi-
3. Odinga- These two had pictures together and remained close through the primaries. Crooked Kenyan known to rig elections and use the class warfare. Sound familiar. Its believed they still remain in close contact.Aren't they cousins?Maybe not.
4. Farrakhan- Wasn't the Secret Service spotted outside his house just last Thanksgiving?
5. Stepfather- man responsible for nurturing the young Obama
6. Grandfather-paternal
Remember when Obama cancelled the National Day of Prayer? He has had no problem celebrating Ramadan every year when it comes around. There are many more muslim ties to investigate.....just to many kalidi, rashidi names to remember.
Just plug in Obama's name with the name I provided you and you will get the numerous links that will give you the story on the relationship.


by Jim1900 October 30, 2011 7:42 AM EDT: Although I am not following the Republican race, there is nothing that says I can't laugh about it.; Reply to this comment