Cheney maintains Iraqi civilian deaths were worth it: "the country is better off for it today"

[sabra]

http://mobile.salon.com/politics/war_room/feature/2009/01/14/cheney_interview/index.html

<snip>

In whether the invasion was worth the human cost:

QUESTION: But Mr. Vice President, getting from there to here, 4,500 Americans have died, at least 100,000 Iraqis have died. Has it been worth that?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: I think so.

QUESTION: Why?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Because I believed at the time what Saddam Hussein represented was, especially in the aftermath of 9/11, was a terror-sponsoring state so designated by the State Department. He was making payments to the families of suicide bombers. He provided a safe haven and sanctuary for Abu Nidal and other terrorist operations. He had produced and used weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological agents. He'd had a nuclear program in the past. He killed hundreds of thousands of his own people. And he did have a relationship with al Qaeda.

We've had this debate that keeps people trying to conflate those arguments. That's not to say that Saddam was responsible for 9/11. It is to say as George Tenet, the CIA Director, testified in open session in the Senate, that there was a relationship there that went back 10 years. This was a terror-sponsoring state with access to weapons of mass destruction. And that's the greatest threat we faced in the aftermath of 9/11, that the next time we found terrorists in the middle of one of our cities, it wouldn't be 19 guys armed with airline tickets and box cutters, it would be terrorists armed with a biological agent, or maybe even a nuclear device.

And so I think given the track record of Saddam Hussein, I think we did exactly the right thing. I think the country is better off for it today. I think it's been part of the effort, alongside Afghanistan, to liberate 50 million people and establish a vibrant democracy in the heart of the Middle East. I think those are major, major accomplishments.

[gratuitous]

1. Measured how, Mr. Cheney?

Certainly in terms of your personal worth, considering that Halliburton was about to go bankrupt in 2002. But then a couple of lovely wars later, and they're in the pink and your pension is secure.

But by any other measure? Not so much.

[spanone]

2. how do news organizations report this with a straight face?

[bdamomma]

3. Cheney is a WAR CRIMINAL PERIOD.

[Smith_3]

4. Bla bla bla. He is entitled to his opinion. Doesn't mean he will not go to prison. nt

[Jamastiene]

5. Which country?

I ask because I already know it sure the fuck isn't America or Iraq that are better off.

[Marrah_G]

6. When I think of Cheney I wish I believed in Hell

I would like to see him tormented by dead Iraqui children for Eternity.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Monday Night...11:55PM EST...Pardon City

It's been toooooo quiet on this front...and you know its coming. Scooter's definitely getting his final ticket punched and I suspect the reason it's so quiet is this list is going to include a lot of regunicans (I wouldn't be surpried if Duke Cunningham is pardoned as well as George Ryan)...also to spring some kind of "pre-emptive" pardon that attempts to give cover to all the war criminals in his regime. It'll make the pardons his old man gave out in '93 look cheap.

[Vickers]

8. So go there and enjoy the fruits of your good work, Deadeye.

You know, without a security detail.

:eyes:

[endarkenment]

9. 100,000 is ridiculously low.

But it is just the same old lies trotted out. 9/11 WMD terrorists evil Saddam blah blah blah. We conquered Iraq because it is sitting on the second largest cheap oil reserves on the planet. End of story. War of conquest. A huge war crime for which nobody will be held to account.

[formercia]

10. Eichmann said pretty much the same thing

He didn't regret it either.

The Israelis still hung his sorry ass.

[peekaloo]

11. He kept looking down while spewing his answers.

Lehrer knew he was full of shit.

[Arkansas Granny]

13. Lehrer seemed a little incredulous at some of the answers he was getting.

[jwirr]

12. That man is totally delusional - when are we going to find a insane

asylum for him?

[Greyhound]

14. Three verifiable lies in the first paragraph. This parasite makes me sick. n/t

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Consider the sociopathic source

I've come to believe that the neocons are quite liberal in one way: They have extremely liberal definitions of "liberty" and "democracy."

[closeupready]

16. Did he explain no-bid Halliburton contracts?

No? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you! :sarcasm: