(CNN) - Former Vice President Dick Cheney said in an interview broadcast Sunday that the Justice Department's decision to review waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques is politically motivated.
Cheney said he opposes the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to ask a former prosecutor to review CIA interrogations of high-profile terrorism suspects.
Cheney made clear he believes President Obama directed Holder to launch the review because the president is feeling pressure from left-wing Democrats. Cheney said the review will undermine the willingness of CIA personnel to conduct necessary operations.
"I think it's a terrible decision," Cheney said on "Fox News Sunday." "It's clearly a political move. There's no other rationale for why they're doing this."
He criticized Obama for allowing a review considering the president previously said that CIA operatives involved in the interrogations would not be prosecuted. "I think he's trying to duck responsibility for what's going on here, and I think it's wrong," Cheney said.
Updated: 2:43 p.m.
From CNN Politics
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The war-criminal-in-chief objects to the investigation of war crimes.
TO Cheney everything is politics because when you are as dishonest as he is, you always think the other guy is trying to pull something because that is how he is.
What do you expect Chaney to say.......he's got to cover his butt........and for him saying that this is a "political move that there isn't any other rational reason for this" .....yeah there is another reason and that is to put him behind bars where the rest of the criminals are.......he isn't above the law just because he was the VP of this country.....as a matter of fact he should be held to higher standards and should have known better than to try to pull the wool over the eyes of the people of this country.....he is afraid that this investigation is going to show all of this country and the World what a low life this man is.........
No it isn't Cheney. Obama has said over and over again that he wishes to move on. But you see, the justice department isn't the same as yours Cheney. it isn't in your pocket. it isn't political, it must investigate you and your many many crimes. To preserve our great nation and what we stand for you must be investigated. You brought this on yourself. So shut up!
i beg to differ with you mr. cheney, it's not political, it's called finding out the truth and holding those accountable if wrong was indeed done.
Investigate, PLEASE. I love to see Cheney and Bush stammer for words to explain their way out of this. In my opinion, both are crooks and should be in prison.
Sorry Mr. Cheney, the Justice Department does not do politics.
No Mr Cheney, it is crimminal. Politics aside, violations of US law and US treaties are not political matters, they are crimminal matters.
When we see a video showing rogue police officers beating suspects, we're outraged. Investigating those beatings doesn't undermine the police - it strengthens it by getting rid of people within its ranks that break the law, it raises public confidence, and, of course, enforces the law. Why is the situation with the CIA different? If someone has broken the law, then they should be prosecuted.
Political? Of course it's political–in the same way that the Congress didn't challenge to torture policy for years becasue they believed it would cost them an election. It was just as political as the opinion letters from the White House Office of Legal Counsel which gave the President broad and sweeping powers to ignore any law made by Congress under the auspices of "National Security." Why do people not trust government? Well–I'm sure it's just political.
Dick Cheney brags that for eight years there were no terrorist attacks on America. He seems to have forgotten Sept. 11th, which happened on his watch. Like Bush said "We won the trifecta" which allowed him and Cheney to launch into a deficit spending spree, wars justified with false intelligence, and interrogation techniques outlawed decades ago. Did Dick Cheney really think history would simply overlook his administration?
Very good Sunday funnies; Dick when he isn't killing, torturing or just out shooting his friends in the face is always good for a laugh
Do you think any of the thousands of Americans crushed and laying under tons of steel in the twin towers thought that waterboarding was too harsh on the perpatrators? If one American life was saved because of the information gathered it was worth it.
Oh yes, it's a vast left-wing consipiracy...
And if they hadnt used enhanced techniques and the planned attack on Los Angeles International airport had been successful and thousands more Americans killed, why then all these liberals would be outraged we "didnt do more" to prevent them. Nancy Pelosi and many other Democrats knew about, approved of and even asked if even more "enhanced" techniques were needed back in 2002. Now they turn around and feign outrage that the techniques they approved of were used. Cheney is absolutely right, it is political.
Cheney is absolutely right. Obama and his appointees are putting our nations security at risk purely for political gain. This will ultimately cost him the White House.
Common criminals always try to justify their illegal actions. Cheney is obviously no different.
I guess he is in a good position to understand political moves. Wasn't his whole career about that?
Whatever it is, it is the right thing to do. No one should be above the law. Especially Cheney.
if you're/they're worried about terrorists being abused why don't you say something about drones blowing up groups of people...Obama's Commander in Chief. because you're all political and you don't REALLY care.
Political or not it is wrong. The only investigation should be was the law followed? That is the law on waterboarding. Now the law may have been wrong or not – that is a debate – I think it was wrong personally, but did the CIA follow that law? If so, no case. Public servants and particularly the FBI and CIA cannot be held accountable for actions that may be deemed inappropriate by some future administration provided that at the time they were following the law. Period.
So, when Republicans in Congress were investigating President Clinton in the 90s, first on Whitewater and then on Monica Lewinsky, it was not politically motivated? I thought Republicans like to conduct investigations. As long as the subjects of investigation are not Republicans, of course.
What a crook! He was silent during 8 years of misgovernment. Now he fears what's to come: Justice. I can visualize him in North Carolina with Bernie Maddoff. That is where he belongs, in prison.
He, Rusmfeld and their team of crooks are responsible for a war that should have never happened. A war that has costed thousands of lives in both, Irak and America. Who is investigating their oil business? The contracts to Halliburton with no bidding process? How much money has this guy and his team of thieves made out of that? He admits that he is ok with not respecting our laws. What kind of VP was this?
Why would I care about what happens to the worst of the worst at Guantanamo Bay. They wouldnt hesitate to kill an American....
I don't understand why Democrats care so much about the Gitmo prisoners rights, and thinking nothing about aborting babies and their rights.