McClatchy Newspapers: Cheney's Speech Contained Omissions, Misstatements

McClatchy Newspapers:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's defense Thursday of the Bush administration's policies for interrogating suspected terrorists contained omissions, exaggerations and misstatements.

In his address to the American Enterprise Institute , a conservative policy organization in Washington , Cheney said that the techniques the Bush administration approved, including waterboarding -- simulated drowning that's considered a form of torture -- forced nakedness and sleep deprivation, were "legal" and produced information that "prevented the violent death of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent people."

Read the whole story: McClatchy Newspapers

Comments

[Warthog]

It seems it is time that everyone take a good hard look at Mr. Cheney and read up on Compulsive liars and related personality disorders.

[regellner]

Cheney's lies and manipulations are all an attempt to avoid prosecution of acts he knew and still knows to be criminal. He needs to be held accountable.
Following is and article whick relates to the torture investigation:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11326-Charlotte-Liberal-Examiner~y2009m5d18-Focus-must-remain-on-creators-and-implementers-of-torture-policy


Raymond Gellner – Charlotte Liberal Examiner at Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-11326-Charlotte-Liberal-Examiner

[fishingriver]

This is an exceptional article. In fact, I don't recall an article from any major old world newspaper that has carried such a direct contradiction of Cheney since he and Bush were elected in 2000. This is not a "column" or an "editorial". This is a fact checking "news report".

[Vermontah]

The Bush Administration always seemed to me like a Robert Ludlum book. Characters like Cheney are right out of pulp spy fiction. But there's elements of truth in Ludlum's books. Sometimes, the world actually works like that.

I believe Cheney is the head of a vast Ludlum-like extra-governmental cabal whose mission is to completely destroy the US as we know it and turn it into a fascist military-industrial dictatorship.

Stranger things have happened in the course of history.

[mari2JJ]

You are so correct to say "Cheney is the head of etc, etc, etc. It is obvious that Mr. Cheney pulled the strings in the Bush Administration and his selection as Vice President was not happenstance but Cheney himself pulling the strings so that G. W. selected Cheney himself. No doubt about it, that alone accounts for much of the illegal activities of the Bush administration. Of course, Cheney MUST defend his own behavior with these silly statements about keeping the country safe, etc. Remember, the torture program in Abu Graiab and Gitmo were part and parcel of the Cheney ideals. How disgusting is that for the Vice President of our country to be pushing these extra-cons­titutional activities. Sad state of affairs. Send these guys to the Hague or at least, cooperate with the Spanish government in their complaint against the Bush administration that will hold the Cheney-Bush bunch accountable.

[ReluctantDemocrat]

Signed into my Facebook account and one of my friends had written:

“Enjoyed Dick Cheney’s speech today immensely. It was good to hear some straight talk.”

I couldn't believe it. Was he joking?

No, he wasn't. Believe it or not, there are people out there who really believe this stuff. Some of those 21% supporting Bush down to the end....

Just another example of what we Reluctant Democrats have to put up with.

Reluctant Democrat
www.reluctantdemocrat.org

[tompoe]

Cheney is a war criminal. Why is he accorded legitimacy and given a platform to spew garbage?

[LeftRight]

Because to be fair he's only a suspected war criminal from our side, but he's never even been charged....

[livesinreality]

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's defense Thursday of the Bush administration's policies for interrogating suspected terrorists contained omissions, exaggerations and misstatements.

Duh!

Omissions, exaggerations and misstatements are the rethugs motto and creed.

[dphilip]

Dick Cheney is standing front and center and calling you and your world appeasing president out.
Remeber, you're the ones that wouldn't let it be.

[billygore2000]

You express yourself poorly, although your bias comes through.

[SirReal1]

And 21% of America is behind him!

Oh! Make that 20% after the speech.

Oooops! 19% as of this morning.

Dang! 18% as of this evening.

He keeps talking and soon you'll be his only supporter.

[LeftRight]

Yup, he's standing in front of the world court of opinion and showing everyone just how corrupt the bush administration really was!!

[nk007]

Where was he when the terrorists attacked us on 9/11/01 on his watch? Where was he when thousands of people drowned in New Orleans on his watch? Where was he when our economy was driven to the ground on his watch? Look, Obama's been in office a mere four months and you and Cheney are so omniscient that you can predict what his policies will do. Of course we don't have to speculate about the coward, chicken-hawk, five deferment, Dick Cheney. He and his boy King had 8 years in Office and all they did was to destroy the country. Cheney has absolutely no credibility. The tragedy is that timid corporate news media is giving him the attention and recognition he does not deserve. He had eight years. It is time for him to go away and let sane people begin the rebuilding of all that he destroyed. At least the boy-King recognizes that he is no longer calling shots. Poor Dick: he was nowhere to be seen when he was in power giving all those directives. Now that he is no longer in power he is all over. Disclosed or undisclosed he is still a destructive force; the country is better off without him.

[blinkthink]

A:Cheney was in a protected bunker, freaking out. A: Rummy and his protege Cheney did not care. A: see #2. Cheney has to vilify and degrade the new administration in order to re-frame the Bush legacy. It has to look good to GOP base. Besides, it is in his nature is to wage war, he cannot stop himself now. He has a book deal so he has to continue his acerbic spin so he can make lots of money . He is a manipulator, so he will continue. But right you are, time to rebuild with responsible people, not those who are afraid of change, unable to do anything but fear everything.......

[Plus15]

Dick Cheney is trying to undermine, destabilize and overthrow the United States of America. Cheney is the enemy. Through eight years he has destroyed the economy, the reputation and the security of America and had started dismantling our Constitution. He is currently being powerfully aided by a media that loves the Cheney story whether it's good or bad for the country, their only interest is eyeballs, viewers and money. The Republican Party is fully complicit in this attempt to destroy the duly elected Democratic government, even if only by their silence in the face of Cheney. This is serious, this is treason.

[ArjenBoatsma]

ehhhh, Cheney's lies caused the violent death of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people. Ask someone in Iraq.

[1088]

You gotta a new friend!

http://www.politico.com/

[drewziGNY]

I don't know....is it just me or does Cheney look like a cross between Mister Potter and Gorilla Grodd?

[mama4obama]

Dick Cheney is a evil man . There , I said it. He has always scared me even when he and Bush were running and everything I thought about him has been proven to be true. All I know is that Karma is a bitch and Cheney is in line to be b*&%h slapped.

[SouthPrairie]

We need to stop pretending that we don't know what is up. This man is of the same ilk as Limblah, blah, blah, but has the clout of a former VP, I'm quite sorry to say, and the s@distic capacity of....well, a s@dist.

You see, like Limblah he wants our Prez to fail; however he has the means to go about in a concerted effort to weaken our Prez. with his perpetual rants. The man who's name we will not mention wants our duly elected leader to appear weakened and if he can help the process along by doing everything he can to discredit him and embolden the terr0rists to take a sh0t at America, so be it; for it would be a win, win for THAT guy. He could be vindicated in his W@r-FOR-Terr0r

while at the same time giving the OLD party a much needed s.h.o.t. in the arm. and the renewed hope for more power to piIIage.

Do you think that it would matter to him that his revived reputation would be at the expense of our citizens and their loss of Iife?

Remember, 9II was the high point of his career.

This man outed a covert agent and cooked intelligence to start a w@r for p.r.o.f.i.t. He has proven himself an unscrupulous trait0r.

The only safety he's looking out for is his own.

In power they fleece out of power they menace

[drewziGNY]

"The only safety he's looking out for is his own."
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­-----
Someday, in the end he will get what karma sees fit for him, it may involve fire, brimstone, and a pitchfork poking his you-know-what.

[mollybeejay]

May that day come sooner than later.

[billygore2000]

Cheney is making "Dubya" look smart, the latter keeping his mouth shut.