Where's the outrage at Cheney?

After years of helping deceive the American people about the true US motives in Iraq, former Vice President Richard Cheney, in a March 15th interview televised on CNN, in a rare moment, actually addressed the subject more clearly and candidly. (and, it was very disturbing)

CNN's John King asked former Vice President Dick Cheney if - now that he was out of government - there was something he felt more free to say now.

Cheney replied:

"That's an interesting question, John, I -- I guess my general sense of where we are with respect to Iraq and at the end of now, what, nearly six years, is that we've accomplished nearly everything we set out to do. Now, I don't hear much talk about that, but the fact is , the violence level is down 90 percent. The number of casualties and Iraqis and Americans is significantly diminished. There's been elections, a constitution. They're about to have another presidential election here in the near future. We have succeeded in creating in the heart of the Middle East a democratically governed Iraq, and that is a big deal, and it is, in fact, what we set out to do.

King: It's a dangerous term because of the political debates in the past, but, mission accomplished?

Cheney: I wouldn't use that, just because it triggers reactions that we don't need. But I would ask people and the press, too, take an honest look at the circumstances in Iraq today and how far we've come. The defeat of Al Qaida in Iraq, the writing of that democratic constitution, a series of elections that involve power sharing among all the various groups, the end of sectarian violence. I thinka major defeat for the Iranians living next door to Iraq, who tried to influence events there...."

There it is: Now that Cheney's out of office, he's more direct and honest about the US goal of trying to reconfigure the make-up of the Middle East to better suit US interests. Back in 2002, when he and President Bush frantically disseminated propaganda about why we had to remove the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Cheney couldn't talk as free-ly about wanting a "democratic Iraq" to help the US meet its objectives. It was easier to tell Americans that the reason for starting a war was the false message that Saddam Hussein had WMD and ties to Al Qaida.
That Bush and Cheney lied about Iraq's WMD has been well-covered - although, I still believe it was a potentially impeachable offense and I wince every time I hear former Bush Administration officials - STILL - try to rationalize - after their lies were proven - that even if no WMD were found, Hussein still had a "capability" or "potential" to develop WMD.
The post-mortem revisionism doesn't cut it --- not when we all can remember the hysteria and drama of Bush, Cheney and company telling us how "dangerous" Iraq's threat was back in 2002 and 2003.

Which reminds me: How can Cheney or Bush have the gall to continue trying to convince us - as Cheney just did on CNN - that the US "defeat of Al Qaida in Iraq" is an accomplishment? Al Qaida was not in Iraq at all until the US invaded. Al Qaida joined the fight against the US and killed many people - as the result of the US starting the war there! So, why do we keep hearing former Bush administration officials lie to us about this?

To me, when Cheney is that lazy in his efforts to mislead, it's either a statement about how arrogant he is and detached he is from the American people OR how ignorant and gullible he thinks all of us are.

He must be in some form of denial because, in his "reflective" comments on CNN, he said nothing about the costs of the Iraq war. Cheney chose to not mention the death of so many thousands of Iraqis and Americans. He didn't mention that the US had stimulated many young men to join Al Qaida and inflamed people around the world to hate and oppose the US.
Further, his remark about Iraq's progress being a "major defeat" for Iran seems unsupportable. Has Iran ever had the power and influence it has right now? The US invasion of Iraq hurt our credibility in the Middle East, inflamed tensions with Iran and complicated continuing international concerns about Iran's developing the capacity to build a nuclear weapon.

Instead, Cheney, in the CNN interview, actually cited the reduction of violence in Iraq as part of the significant progress there. He doesn't mention that his Administration initiated all the violence by invading the country back in 2003. Sometimes, I think Americans blot out the insanity of what the US really did to Iraq. Maybe if Iraq or some other country sent troops and weapons into the United States and started killing thousands of people in New York or Philadelphia or anywhere - because, they claimed, they believed there were "WMD" here -- and, then, later, the WMD were never found, the reality might sink in more.

I am not dismissing that the United Nations had passed many resolutions that asked Iraq and Saddam Hussein to allow inspections and that it was a concern that Iraq failed to comply. However, as I recall, in one of the last inspections there, no WMD were found, and the IAE wanted to continue its work there to reach a more "final" conclusion. There was no grounds for an invasion and a war.

I was disturbed by other parts of Cheney's interview too. One particular comment is relevant to his outlook - and "denial" about Iraq.

Cheney commented on President Obama's handling of the economic crisis and his ambitious, proposed budget priorities.

"I worry a lot that they"re (Obama administration) using the current set of economic difficulties to try to justify a massive expansion in the government and more authority for the government over the private sector and I don't think that's good...."

Yes, Cheney's comment referred to Obama's handling of domestic issues, but, it reminded me of Cheney's many moves - as vice president - behind the scenes - to "expand" the power of the executive branch, particularly the handling of certain aspects of the so-called "war on terror."

Cheney - like many others in highest office - appeared to be corrupted by power. Perhaps he'll come falling down to Earth a bit in the months and years ahead, but, he seems to have a long way to go.

There was an unfortuate juxtaposition between Cheney's interview and the sight of US Congressmen, last week, jumping over each other, trying to see who could sound more "outraged" by the bonuses that AIG executives had given themselves. I always get bothered when I see members of Congress all reacting the same way --like sheep "covering" themselves - to make sure they're "on record" regarding something they fear might hurt them otherwise.

Where was the outrage when Cheney and Bush spent a year presenting a false, completely insufficient, irrational reason for the United States to start a war with Iraq?

Some might claim Cheney's remarks last week are irrelevant now, but, he and Bush had a huge, negative impact on US relations with the rest of the world and they've left many problems for the Obama Administration to clean up.

It's important to see the truth emerge -- even if that happens years later. CNN's interview sheds a bit more light on Cheney's past outlook as vice president. Cheney's comments are disturbing and worth scrutinizing as the United States attempts to re-emerge in a new, improved, more constructive and humane role in the world.