Cheney: We did 'nearly everything' we planned to in Iraq
Photo Credit: Josh Rubin/CNN
(CNN) — In his first television interview since leaving the vice president’s mansion, Dick Cheney told CNN's John King the Bush administration had accomplished "nearly everything we set out to do" in Iraq - and took aim at a key member of the Bush diplomatic team who's been tapped for the Obama administration.
"I think it's my general sense of where we are with respect to Iraq at the end of now, what, nearly six years is we accomplished nearly everything we set out to do," he said on State of the Union Sunday. He pointed to falling levels of violence, and recent democratic elections: "We have succeeded in creating in the heart of the Middle East a democratically-governed Iraq, and it is in fact what we set out to do."
But he declined to say whether those conditions meant "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq: "I wouldn't use that, just because it triggers reactions that we don't need," he said. "But I would ask people, and the press too, to take an honest look at the circumstances in Iraq today, and how far we've come."
He was critical of the Obama administration's decision to tap Chris Hill, the Bush team's point man on North Korea, to serve as ambassador to Iraq. "He’s not the man I would have picked," said Cheney, saying Hill "doesn’t have experience in the region, none of the skills and talents that [former ambassador] Ryan Crocker had," adding that he would not have made that choice.
This guy should be in jail! He did more to destroy the integrity of the US government than anyone since 1776.
He was the one who created the WMD's. He denies that the global financial problems were created in the USA under his watch.
What a hypocrit.e.
Go away Mr. cheney....for life....along with your buddy B. Maydoff.
This man is a criminal and belongs in jail. When the full truth finally comes out about him and W. we will all realize that the 8 years of W's rule was nothing short of a dictatorship.
"But he declined to say whether those conditions meant "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq: "I wouldn't use that, just because it triggers reactions that we don't need," he said."
So you don't want to use that phrase because it makes people angry? How about because it is a false statement and there might be some desire somewhere to retain some honesty in the government.
So, Mr. Cheney has an opinion. No one cares Dick. Please just fade into history as a member of the most corrupt and inept administration this nation has ever been subjected to.
What a crock! Criticism from this man is the highest complement. Where are the Repuglicans defending his honor? They don't even support their own. Go shoot somebody, AGAIN.