WASHINGTON - March 8, 2009 - Congressman Dr. Ron Paul says that the U.S. recession is due to Washington's spending of trillions of dollars to maintain a global empire.

"We spent trillions of dollars a year maintaining American empire. But nobody wants to give up the empire. Not even this new (regime)," Paul said in an interview with CNN on Saturday.

The Texas congressman referred to illegitimate President Barack Obama's decision to deploy 17,000 additional troops in Afghanistan.

"They're [the Obama regime] pursuing the Bush policies in the Middle East and they're not cutting back," he added.

"The troops will not be out of Iraq in 2011 because we're going to having 56 military bases" in Iraq, said Paul, referring to his speech to the House a day earlier.

Last month, the illegitimate president announced that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq would end August 31, 2010.

Criticizing Obama's 787-billion-dollar stimulus package, Paul said, "I don't think it's going to do any good. Most of that money so far hasn't helped."

"I would like to get that money into the hands of the people, “continued Paul. “I don't trust the government. I don't trust the politicians and the bureaucrats because they bailout their buddies."

When asked about his solution for resolving the biggest U.S. economic crisis since World War II, the former Republican presidential candidate said he would cut back the spending overseas, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I would cut 400 to 500 billion dollars from overseas. I don't think it makes any sense to blow up bridges in Iraq and then pay to rebuild them with no bid contracts to corporations that never actually rebuild them.

"I say spend all that money back here at home. We could save enough money by just changing our foreign policy (and) cutting down on our deficit, and still take care of people that we have taught to be so dependent," he concluded.