Diplomat blows off Cheney dig at Obama
WASHINGTON (CNN) – A senior diplomat in the Obama administration Sunday challenged former Vice President Dick Cheney’s assessment of the new administration’s ability to keep the country safe.
Cheney was asked two weeks ago on CNN’s State of the Union whether he thought President Obama had made the country less safe since taking office. “I do,” Cheney told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. “He is making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack,” the former vice president added.
But U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke, a senior diplomat in Obama’s State Department, said Sunday that he didn’t understand where Cheney was coming from with his criticism.
“I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about,” Holbrooke said,
“We are treating Afghanistan and Pakistan as a single theater. We are going to address it in an integrated way. We are going to give it more resources. And that is where the people planning the next attack on the United States or on our European allies are certainly doing it. So I just do not understand what his comments were referenced to.”
Gen. David Petraeus, echoed Holbrooke. “You served in the Bush administration under Vice President Cheney and President Bush,” King said to Petraeus. “You're now serving in the Obama administration. Are the American people less safe because of this new president?” King asked
“I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that,” the U.S. CENTCOM commander said Sunday.
ahahha.....HiIlarious.....Just hillarious to read about all the comments in response to Cheney's criticsm of the new administration. Just wait and see. Let's see if the country is any less with the closing of Guantanomo Bay. Let's see if the extra $15+ a week Americans will receive will be enough to counter the rising prices on EVERYTHING. Let's see how much inflation we can deal with until all hell breaks loose. Let's sit around and wait since that's the only thing americans can do in response to some people's ideas that he hasn't been in office long enough to make any significant changes. Let's give him a chance. What's another 4 years?
Cheney needs professional therapy. He needs help soon.
We've had enough garbage rhetoric from "W" Bush and all his cronies and that includes Pin Head Dick Cheney also.
Get lost DICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9/11 occurred under Cheney's and Bush's watch so who can understand what Cheney's talking about. However, it is clear Cheney/Bush never went after those who did attack us and now Obama and his administration must do what they failed to do.
I cannot believe Holbrook has the nerve to talk about Dick Cheney! After what all he said about him and George Bush. Do you idiots at CNN actually think the american people are all brain dead? Are all rights to criticize someone for dumacrats? I don't think so! Look at your staff. Wish you were Fox News, I bet!
Cheney, I hope Spain comes after YOU and the rest of the Bush pack. It will be good to see your smug smile disgraced the resutl of justice. It might take a while, but, I hope that you get what you deserve. You're but the tip of the iceberg of the EVIL that is the REPUBLICAN PARTY.
As for being safe.....personally, I think it's YOU they're after and not the rest of America whom did persue the destruction of an innocent country.
I think thatCheney is right in the context of how we appear to the terrorists. By closing Gitmo, refusing to acknowledge our struggle against terrorism as a "war against terrorism and failing to adequately secure our borders by hamstringing the border patrol and National Guardsmen along the border, our nation is at a greater risk of an attack. The etrrorists thrive on weakness and often wait for such moments to launch their offensives, it makes it easier to maximize the effect by catching us off guard (which is what we are becoming).
Cheney has nothing of value to say. Obama is doing what needs to be done to clean up the mess that Bush and Cheney gave us. Thanks, Dick. Thanks a lot. Now be quiet.
I hope he ends up in a prison cell with a big, tattooed biker named "SPIKE."
When will Cheney be indicted and tried? Or will he just walk around a free man when we all know what he did was wrong, I guess being the former VP of the USA mean something.
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@@@@@ CNN PLEASE POST COMMENT THANKS @@@@@
The simple fact that this administration stated, just this morning, that "the U.S. is unable to do anything about a North Korean missle launch." Are we for real here? Unable to do anything? More like to weak and unwilling to make a statement in doing something! Obama – naive weakness! Quite simply, Cheney is correct!
Cheney had no interest in resolving Afghanistan. There is no oil there. He rushed to Iraq.
Holbrooke is an expert diplomat. He and Albright resolved the Balkan war. Holbroooke knows what he is talking about. President Obama is lucky to be surrounded by experienced diplomats with credits to their service. President Obama sells what his experts cook for him; let us all hope that they keep cooking right.
It's fun to come in here and read comments from people that have no clue whatsoever about the subject. Simple facts are simple facts. Obama is going out of his way to screw this up, he is having everyone focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real threat comes from the people that they already have here in the United States. They will launch their next attack from our own soil, just as they did in 2001. Guns pointed in the right direction? I think not. We need to arm ourselves, so we can protect ourselves. Obama's not going to do it. He will try, but he's screwing this up worse than my teenaged daughter could ever hope to screw it up!
It is no surprise to see how naive most of the liberal bloggers are to the threats we face. You are all so stuck in your Bush derangement syndrome that you have become automatons and kool aid drinkers. Obama is weakening our defenses. His symbolic troop deployment in Afghanistan will help a little, but it surely won't be effective enough to shut down the Taliban and Al Qaeda. We won't be safe from conspiracy in Afghanistan and Pakistan until the majority of the citizens in those countries take a hard line and aggressive stance against the "Islamic" radicals that foment the evil that they wish to wreak upon all infidels, especially the Great Satan and little Satan. Open your liberal eyes to what is coming or you will all wish you had.
Who actually believes anything Cheney has to say?
Have a wonderful idea for cheney and his cohorts to feel safe. Move to a deserted island and stay there till we get the country back on tract. Better yet....stay there permanently.
One could make a case that Cheney was working with – if not for – Osama Bib Laden. OBL wanted to bring the U.S. economy to ruin, and Cheney did his dirty work for him.
The worse attack on our great nation happened with Bush and Cheney in charge!!!!!!
Obama should be delighted, if Cheney disagrees with you then you KNOW you are doing the right thing.
First of all bush/cheney let 9/11 happen they knew and did nothing – so that was on their watch. Second they let Bin Laden get away by taking their private war in Iraq to profit all of cheney's businesses and bushs oil buddies. So by their illegal war of profit and by committing war crimes they did more to increase terrorists than Bin Laden could have ever hoped. We are at higher risk (based on intelligence reports) of attack than before they took office. And by destroying our economy did more harm to the US than Bin Laden ever did.
Maybe Cheney also has the answers to the violence in Mexico, global warming, unemployment, AIG, banks in trouble. Oh wait, never mind, he helped CAUSE them. Maybe he can figure out why people care about Octu mom. Cheney's own daughter didn't vote for him in 2004. What does that tell you Dick?
Cheney is obsessed with Gitmo closing. But does anyone really believe that an enemy who would fly planes into buildings has stopped attacking us simply because they are afraid to be sent to Gitmo?
(Answer: That honestly doesn't make sense.)
The only thing i am interested in hearing from Dick Cheney is a plea.
I am afraid we will find out if Cheney is right or wrong, and probably too soon. You all can cry and blame Bush/Cheney for a lot of things fairly or not, but we have experienced years of safety which we will not equal under these new policies.
Why is a terror subject from a foreign country not an enemy combatant? He/She is not a soldier in a foreign country's army. He is not subject to the Geneva convention. He is not a US citizen. He is not subject to the rights of the U.S. constitution.
He/she hates America, why should we treat him like one?
When will Obama be indicted and tried?