Cheney criticises Obama on terrorism
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Independent Minds
The former Vice President Dick Cheney today sharply criticised President Barack Obama's handling of terrorism policy and defended harsh interrogation methods that Obama has labeled torture.
In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute on the same day Obama defended his approach to terrorism, Cheney said Obama's decision to ban tough tactics "is unwise in the extreme."
"It is recklessness cloaked in righteousness and would make the American people less safe," said Cheney, long viewed as a leading hawk in the Bush administration.
He took particular aim at Obama's decision to close the U.S. military prison for foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The detention center, which currently houses 240 inmates, opened in 2002 as part of Republican President George W. Bush's war on terrorism and Obama wants it closed by January 2010.
The Democratic-led US Congress bucked Obama on Wednesday by stalling funding for the project because there is no plan on what to do with the prisoners there.
"The administration has found that it's easy to receive applause in Europe for closing Guantanamo. But it's tricky to come up with an alternative that will serve the interests of justice and America's national security," said Cheney.
He spoke at the Washington thinktank just after Obama finished his speech on terrorism.
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Comments
What an idiot. Cannot see the damage his kind have done to the image of the USA and the West in general.
The Muslim lands are controlled by puppet leaders who are friendly with and working alongside US policy makers. But their time is running out as Muslims start taking a stand. The Muslims want democracy (or semi democracy), not the impose-by-invasion type, just the regular-non-invasion type without external meddling from the USA.
So these leaders are going to have to relinquish power at some point down the line. Therefore, they are starting to become more people friendly and these people have a very low opinion of the USA and the West after the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions.
The USA and West need to take a repair/reconcile stance and not put salt into the wounds. Cheney is the salt that no one needs.
I prefer to read an English newspaper.
Cheney, you plonker, the last thing anyone needs is an alternative Guantanamo. The reason it's tricky to come up with an alternative that 'serves the interests of justice' is the rather obvious injustice of the original.
A similar thing was done sixty-four years ago and went some way to helping the poor bloody victims.