Cheney to grads: War will not drag on indefinitely

NEW LONDON, Conn. — Vice President Dick Cheney told newly minted Coast Guard officers Wednesday that the war on terrorism would be won on their watch and dismissed fears that fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan would drag on indefinitely.

Cheney, sporting a 10-gallon hat, said the troop surge in Iraq "has succeeded brilliantly."

"The war on terror is a lengthy enterprise, but it does not have to go on forever," he told more than 200 graduating cadets during the 127th commencement at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"The only way to lose this fight is to quit. That would be irresponsible," Cheney said. "More than that, quitting would be an act of betrayal and dishonor."

The commencement address was Cheney's second in four years at the academy. He was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. President Bush addressed graduates last year.

Cheney noted that the cadets entered the academy during the Iraq war and that it continues as they graduate.

"I am absolutely convinced that we will succeed in the war on terror, and I'm also convinced that it will happen on your watch," he said.

The ceremony, held overlooking the Thames River, was rich in tradition and precision. The vice president was greeted with a thunderous 19-gun salute. A jet and helicopter flew over as cadets tossed their hats in the air.

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Cheney told graduates that they will lead a branch of service that is more capable and agile than at any time in its 217-year history.

"From this day forward, you will be America's lifesavers and guardians of the seas," Cheney said. "You'll be there to provide security and to defend our American sovereignty and to enforce this nation's laws against drugs and human smuggling."

He told the cadets they have been given "an immense set of duties" that will cover some 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline. He praised the Coast Guard for rescuing people, including more than 33,000 people trapped by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"Every night a lot of people are thanking God for the United States Coast Guard," he said.

The vice president's visit was both cheered and jeered by demonstrators who arrived early outside the main gates.

Ted Bakacs said he drove down from Boston to join about two dozen war supporters, members of a group dubbed Gathering of Eagles. They waved American flags and toted signs saying "Proud to be an American" and "Support our Troops."

"We're proud of our government," said Bakacs, an Air Force veteran. "We're proud to be American."

Their message was countered by the more than 100 war protesters, who gathered in the center of this waterfront city and marched silently to the sounds of a slow drum beat to the academy gates. They carried placards that said, "War is Death" and "Dick Cheney: War Criminal."

Jason Ortiz, a 24-year-old University of Connecticut student, arrived early dressed as the grim reaper.

"I'm against people getting slaughtered so other people can make this money off of it," Ortiz said.

Comments

[CheneysACoward]

" and you should all be Yellow Cowards like me and let others do the fighting. Become CEO of a company that is part of the Military machine and make lots of blood money...it's The cheney way."

[klosskid]

In other words, "Mission Accomplished". Sounds vaguely familiar...

[Boboday555]

Aww and he dressed up like a cowboy.
I hear next week he plans to dress up as a pirate and then a princess.

Dick WAR DEFERMENTS Cheney; pretending he actually has a pair!

[Boboday555]

"We'll be greeted as liberators."
"The insurgency is in its last throes."
"The Iraq War will only last, at the most, six months."
"The Iraq War will only cost U.S. taxpayers $100 million."
"Iraq and Afghanistan were in cahoots on 9/11."
"Saddam and Bin Laden were in cahoots over 9/11."
"Giving billionaires tax breaks will help all Americans."
"War will not drag on indefinitely."

Vice President WAR DEFERMENTS, maybe you should stop making predictions.
Just a thought!

[rucognizant]

I am absolutely convinced that we will succeed in the war on terror, and I'm also convinced that it will happen on your watch," he said.

Is this code for WHEN WE ATTACK/BOMB IRAN, that'll fix er?
The war on terra will end because with oil shipment stopped in the Persian Gulf, we won't be able to afford war no more?
My Mother is in a "memory Unit" ( lock-down) in her Assisted Living Facility. There too they have a variety of hats and scarves , on pegs, for the inhabitants to play dress-up!

[applespider]

It's so nice he dressed up like a cowboy.

Strange, but nice.

[Johnbo]

Dick Cheney: all hat and no cattle but putting the cowboy in cowboy diplomacy.

We always knew who wore the hat, Dick. You didn't have to rub it in and embarrass the poor chimp in front of our knew Coast Guard officers.

[CanadianFriend]

It doesn't have to go on forever, at least not in Gaza - Hamas has thrown in the towel:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7iiZlb_Yzzo

[realpolitic]

Let's see, Cheney says that the war on terrorism will not go on forever. Then he says that the only way to lose is to quit. So he must mean that to win we must keep fighting forever. His logic here as in so many of his past mistatements eludes me. I guess he feels wearing a ten gallon hat leands his statements authority. As the saying goes, he is all hat and no cattle.

Cheney's statements often seem to bear little relation to reality, as all his WMD arguments did not. However, in typical Bush administration fashion, speaking mistruths never slowed him. He was never called on the carpet by the president or by reporters to account for his mistruths, such as saying that we would be greeted as liberators in Iraq. He was lying then and he is lying now. Some of these cadets, if lucky, may someday be arresting Cheney for war crimes.

[MGhamma]

Wow, it took the neoCONS this long to figure out that it's the youth vote that's going to put Obama in the white house?

[scottymac11]

"The war on terror is a lengthy enterprise, but it does not have to go on forever,"
This ten gallon coward is beyond belief. Thanks to his profit making venture in Iraq,the war on terror has been set back for years.

[The 13 Colonies]

There will not be anything left to go on forever if you stay in charge.....Dickie boy.

[clintfatigue]

He's got his LBJ hat on.

[Crozier]

More like Marion Morrison aka John Wayne......a rightwinger like he is. Another man who wore uniforms in movies and NEVER in real life....like Cheney without the makeup.

[ramal]

Shouldn't that 10 gallon hat be black? Remember with the Bush/Cheney Administration: "War is Peace" and "Freedom is Slavery."

[Irons]

Draft dodgin' dork.