Cheney: Obama decisions are putting country at risk
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/03/15/cheney5.jpg
caption="Photo Credit: Josh Rubin/CNN."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Vice President Dick Cheney told CNN's John King Sunday that he believed President Obama's decision to eliminate the use of many of the most controversial interrogation practices used under the former administration had put the country at risk.
Asked whether he thought those moves had made the United States less safe, Cheney said he did. "I think those programs were absolutely essential to the success we enjoy, of being able to collect the intelligence that let us defeat all further attempts to launch attacks against the United States since 9/11," he said on State of the Union. "I think it's a great success story. It was done legally, it was done in accordance with our constitutional practices and principles..."
Watch Cheney tout Bush administration accomplishments
Obama campaigned against those practices, said Cheney, "and now he's making some choices that in my mind will raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
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Steve wrote..The Beltway snipers were a terrorist attack? Boy that is stretching things a bit even for a liberal.
And now that Obama is in charge of the Iraqi and Afgahnistan campaigns since 20 January, does that make him a war criminal for civilian deaths that follows?
I agree fully with Cheney. Obama is just a talk. There is no substance He goes with the wind and he comes back with the wind. Perhaps walking on the water....
As a businessman who travels extensively outside the US, I can say with absolute certainty that Mr. Bush and Cheney made our nation and our citizens far less safe than they were before they came into office. Those of us who do not have the pleasure of government security and military escorts while we travel know that we have far less freedom than we had before. When you live in a bubble and pay your friends at Halliburton and Blackwater billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to protect you, things look a lot different than they do to most of us average joes.
No sir, your ego has already done that.
Dick Cheney is a war criminal and a sick, disgusting pervert. Why is CNN allowing themselves to be his clown?
No Cheney, it was YOU who put America at Risk. . .when YOU INVADED IRAQ!
And, you did it ALL FOR MONEY–HALIBURTON!
Why would CNN give this vampire a podium in the first place. The worst Admin in our nation's history, made Nixon and company look like law abiding citizens, King is obviously in the tank for the Rethuglicans, but even this is a new low.
Haliburton aka Dick Cheney are the ones that made billions in this war. The Iraq war has never been about 9/1, it's always been about profit and Bush/Cheney should go to prison.
Obama will put us back on track, Bush/Cheney's policies have threatened the US. Get lost.
Of course decimating the finances and economy of a country will also put it at risk of not being able to defend itself. Has Cheney ever read the book "the Rise and Fall of the Great Powers"?
CNN would serve this country well to show all of the posts and responses on Cheney over the air as opposed to commentary from political pundits and analysis after this incredulous interview. This man summons up sick and dreadful feelings in most of us.
Is he coordinating with bin Laden for another attack to prove his point?
Cheney and his gang have had thier high time running the country. Leave the US alone....Give it back to us. Thinkers, men of integrity of honor, wisdom and expirience and go look after you growing bank accounts.
Cheney is the biggest butt-hole ever to serve in public office – a frightening figure who deserves to be in jail, on moral if not criminal conviction...wish he would just find a cave and disappear forever.
Kevin in Ohio is really Joe the Plumber! What a loser!
Cheney is responsible for outing CIA agent Valerie Plame and formed policy which made our country to one of the most beloved to the most hated in the world.
You are right in saying history will judge you Dick and believe me we will never forget.
Why is the media always bringing the former administration on to critique the current one? Did Bush do that to Clinton? No. Did Clinton do it to Bush? No. Please stop. No one cares what these failures have to say.
Sorry, moron, if there is another attack, it will be because:
1. You and the shrub IGNORED intelligence about the 9//11 attack in August of 2001
2. You and the shrub have empowered al Queada in an area where they did not exist prior to your "accomplishment"
3. You and the shrub made finding Osama bin Laden the brains of the attack your number 2 priority, right behind grabbing all the oil you could for Halliburton in Iraq.
And so YOU and the shrub will ALSO be responsible for any future attack just as you were for the one on 9/11/2001
Why do we continue to give these Republican criminals a platform to spew their inflammatory rhetoric?
Just like these criminals taped the torture of individuals, I hope someone gets the moment Cheney's heart explodes on video, and posts it on YouTube.
I bet tha both Bush and Cheney are deep down hoping that there is a successful terrorist attack on US soil..
For the love of God.... why would we care what this war criminal has to say about anything! He and Bush lied throughout this abomination they call a well warranteed war! Bush was not bright enough to come up with the reasoning behind this war.... but Cheney was! Cheney, Rove, and the whole gang no doubt with the help of Daddy Bush masterminded this war... not the simpleton Bush! And we are paying the price with a financial melt down! But do they care? Hell NO! That is why they keep justifying this war! This is an UNwinable War! And the so called Bin Laden remains illusive! Disgusting... obscene!
Evidently Bush and Cheney were ones of the worst President and Vice President in history; however who was really responsible for that horrible administration? No doubt, the voters who voted them into office, not once but twice. It is great to exercise one's voting right but at least do it intelligently.
Bring back Dick Cheney! He kept the country safe (if you don't count 9/11), shepherded our economy (if you don't count fighting regulation from the financial industry), stood up for Americans (so long as they were at least millionaires), and served as an example of Christian values for the world to see (except for the lying, cheating, stealing, and killing). We might not be able to have Dick back just yet , but fortunately the Republican party has many more heroes just like him.
Obama's decisions are actually the first steps at restoring America to the place it held before the Bush/Cheney administration wrecked it.
The fallacy in the "we protected America for 7.5 years" argument is that the implication was it was the torture that helped. Very few people really knows if that is true. But we can deduce some things that are true because we tortured people. First, we stand in violation of the international laws that we want the rest of the world to respect, and have lost the moral high ground. Secondly, the evidence collected under torture is not admissible in court. This is preventing a reasonable wrap-up of Gitmo because Bush/Cheney didn't think the problem out that far. Finally, it doesn't acknowledge that subsequent attempts at terrorism in the US (yes, there have been several) have been foiled as much by good police work and cooperation than through torture. Torturing people actually prevents that kind of police work and cooperation because our natural allies don't trust us anymore.
Will we get attacked again? Yes. Will it be because we went soft on terrorism because we don't torture people anymore? No, not in the slightest.
Dear CNN:
I watch your ratings fueled news as little as possible--after your interview with Cheney (did not see), will not watch you ever. You, the media, are as responsible as anyone, for letting the Bush Administration get away with lies, starting a war, based on lies, particularly those planted by Cheney, lies that have led to our economic crisis,,,,etc. And, you're still letting this lying sack of sh.t continue his manipulation.
You are not journalists, you do not seek the truth, you just seek sensationalism...I hope Jon Stewart of the Daily Show aims his sights at the so-called "journalists" of CNN.
Anyone interested in the TRUTH, including Cheney's role in manipulating the Bush Administration.....please read Vanity Fair's February 2009 article "Uncovering the Darkest Secrets of the BUSH WHITE HOUSE. It's available at their website..."www.vf.com"