Pro-War Congressman Caught in a Lie

Congressman Tom Lantos was quoted in the September 30, 2002 edition of the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz telling Minister of Kenesit (MK) Colette Avital of the Israeli Labor party, "My dear Colette, you won't have any problem with Saddam. We'll be rid of the bastard soon enough. And in his place we'll install a pro-Western dictator, who will be good for us and for you." Congressman Lantos denied making these statements to reporters from the San Mateo County Times and the San Mateo Daily News. Lantos told staff writer Justin Jouvenal in the October 2nd addition of the San Mateo County Times that the story in Ha' aretz was "total fabrication". He also told the Times reporter that "I am amused by the comments Ha'aretz attributes to me, because they fly in the face of my lifetime of work," Lantos said. "I am a firm supporter of democracy." Jouvenal also writes that Lantos said he would never support a dictatorship in Iraq.

Ben Terrall, a Bay Area peace activist and a staff member of the Maad Abu-Ghazalah for Congress Campaign (Lantos' opponent for the District 12 seat representing most of San Mateo and part of San Francisco)e-mailed MK Colette Avital in hopes of getting to the bottom of the story. After almost three weeks Terrall received this response from MK Avital:


"Dear Ben, I am sorry for the delay in answering your mail. I was away on two extended trips and only returned this week. Even though I did not speak to the journalist who wrote the story in Haaretz, I can confirm that the story is accurate. In fact, I myself was surprised and pained by Congressman Lantos' comments. Since he is a friend of Israel and I have had a long friendship with him, I did not want to react to his denial, or to further embarrass him.
Sincerely, Colette Avital, M.K."

Even before this new revelation Congressman Lantos' enthusiastic campaigning for war (while not even bothering to come to the district once to meet with his constituents during the campaign season) had already angered many in his district who have been holding bi-weekly protests outside of his office. San Mateo Peace Action, Peninsula Peace and Justice Center and Global Exchange will be holding a press conference and a speak-out to share how the community feels about Congressman Lantos' support for war and his distain for democracy. Citizens for Regime Change in San Mateo / San Francisco and the creative protest group the Ronald Reagan Home for the Criminally Insane, who ran personals ads in three San Mateo papers to try and help Congressman Lantos find the pro-Western dictator of his dreams, will be providing potential new dictators of Iraq the opportunity to get into bed with Congressman Lantos.

The Press conference and speak-out will take place at Lantos' office at 400 South El Camino Real in San Mateo at 4:30PM on Wednesday, October 23rd.