Ron Paul: ‘Nothing for Us to be Gained’ by Leaving Troops in Afghanistan

Jason Merritt/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- With President Obama set to announce Wednesday night the start of a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul already knows it will be inadequate from his perspective.

“I don't want to hear that he's going to bring 5,000 troops home or 10,000 troops. We need to have a significant change in foreign policy, which means that all the troops come home and turn that country back over to the Afghans. And let them deal with it,” Paul, a Republican congressman from Texas, told ABC News on Top Line Wednesday.

Paul brushed aside concerns about an increased terrorist threat if U.S. troops leave, arguing that a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan will actually make the U.S. safer.

“We'll have less danger to us if we don't occupy foreign countries, because that's the top motivation for the desire to come here and kill Americans -- is because we've invaded their land,” Paul said. “What if another country did that to us? Every American would be together. If the Chinese did to us what we do to other countries, no American would say, ‘Aw, that's okay, they're nice people. Maybe we can learn their culture and their religion.’ It would be insane.”

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