You Can't See It, But Cheney's Pants Are on Fire

Ex-veep's speech full of torture distortions

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted May 22, 2009 10:19 AM CDT

(Newser) – In his full-on assault on the president's conterterrorism policies yesterday, Dick Cheney deployed an arsenal of “omissions, exaggerations and misstatements,” charge Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel of McClatchy. Among them:

Cheney claimed that harsh interrogations yielded vital, attack-preventing information and quoted Adm. Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence. In fact Blair, along with the CIA and FBI brass, said the damage outweighed the benefit, and they the tactics "are not essential to our national security."

Only “ruthless enemies of this country” were detained overseas, said Cheney. Actually, most captives were low-level soldiers or entirely innocent civilians.
The ex-veep blamed the Abu Ghraib scandal on a few bad apples, but a bipartisan Senate report says senior officials purposefully redefined the law to authorize the abuse.
Sound intelligence is crucial to counterterrorism, argued Cheney, who himself regularly ignored many intelligence sources and relied on others that were viewed as untrustworthy.

To read the full list, click the link below.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

On May 21, President Obama and former Vice President Cheney faced off in rival speeches on torture, detention, and counterterrorism. (AP Photos/FILE)

Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, Thursday, May 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 13, 2009 and reviewed by the U.S. military, the sun rises over the Guantanamo detention facility at dawn, at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

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The bottom line is that these techniques hurt our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security. - Adm. Dennis Blair

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

cornelison

May 22, 2009 11:53 AM CDT

As long as special interests run cable news Cheney will spew his "garbage"t. When is someone going to arrest this guy for war crimes against humanity???!!! He's mocking the legal system!!

Newser001

May 22, 2009 10:42 AM CDT

Trading at $0.63 a share.. oych!

Newser001

May 22, 2009 8:36 AM CDT

NY Times and its assets were also acquired in 2007 by News Corporation (often abbreviated to News Corp) NASDAQ: NWSA, ASX: NWS, LSE: NCRA) one of the world's largest media conglomerates. Company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder is Rupert Murdoch and the President and Chief Operating Officer is Peter Chernin. Adjusting for the redemption of notes due in March 2010, total debt was about $1 billion (May 10, 2009 - WSJ). Carona-king, or should I say, Archie Bunker - Every time you open your mouth, that right winged ass-clown of yours shines ever so palely...

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Dick Cheney • torture • Abu Ghraib • intelligence • Guantanamo Bay • Guantanamo prisoners • torture memo • Dennis Blair

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You Can't See It, But Cheney's Pants Are on Fire