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Cheney "kept us safe"??????

By Robert Lynch - May 25th, 2009 at 4:56 pm EDT

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The former VP "Dick" Cheney keeps repeating the same tired refrain, as if he is stuttering badly from drunkeness, that he "kept the country safe" by using torture. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Upon taking office, George W Bush and Dick Cheney were warned by the CIA and Clinton intelligence officials about the dire threat from Bin Laden and Al Queda. Bush and Cheney paid no attention to the warnings. In the spring of 2001, Condolezza Rice, the new National Security Advisor appointed by W Bush, published an article in Foreign Affairs magazine in which she stated that the threat from terrorists was overblown, a relic from a paranoid Clinton administration which was trying to divert attention away from scandals. The real threat to America came from Russia and China.

Over the summer of 2001, numerous American intelligence agencies were reporting alarming amounts of "chatter" being intercepted over the internet and telephone indicating a huge attack on America was coming. The NSA, CIA, FBI, and Defense Intelligence all were warning of an imminent attack. In August, W Bush, Cheney, and other top officials were given a Daily Briefing titled, "Bin Laden determined to attack the U.S." W Bush, and most importantly, Dick Cheney, did NOTHING, in spite of the seriousness of the warnings.

On September 11th, 2001, the most horrific terrorist attack ever by foreign nationals was perpetrated against the American people. Almost 3000 innocent Americans lost their lives. In spite of repeated warnings from multiple sources, W and Cheney did NOTHING to stop the attack.

Now, after this failure to protect America from the worst terrorist attack ever, Dick Cheney has the gall to claim that he kept America safe through torture. How is allowing 3000 people to die after you were warned for almost 9 months straight, "keeping us safe"???

Bush and Cheney were the most incompetent Pres and V. Pres we have ever had. They did NOT keep us safe from anything. Look again at the twin towers collapsing on video. I ASK ONCE MORE, HOW IS ALLOWING THAT HORRIFIC ACT OF MASS MURDER, "KEEPING US SAFE"?????

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Evaluating George and Dick | Report to Admin

By The Bard of Wilmette May 27th 2009 at 2:25 pm EDT (Updated May 27th 2009 at 2:25 pm EDT)

I do not blame the Bush administration for failing to prevent the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., although they kind of make such criticism fair game when the whole justification for their 8-year regime is that they supposedly "kept us safe" subsequent to that date.

For the sake of argument, let's say that we allow that failing to prevent those attacks is not the fault of the Bush (or Clinton) administration. It is the actions of President Bush, and those working for him, after that date that lead me to conclude that they did not "keep us safe." The extraordinary resources used in connection with the Iraq invasion made us less safe. Let's remember that Iraq had nothing to do with "9/11," had not attacked the U.S. or its allies, and was in no position to do so. Lying to the American people about the supposed reasons for the Iraq invasion made us less safe. Cherry picking intelligence reports (exagerrating or dismissing their value based on domestic political considerations) made us less safe. Keeping incompetent advisors (e.g. Don Rumsfeld) around, long after it was obvious they were not up to the job, made us less safe. The conspicuous contempt for international law by the Bush administration made us less safe. Torturing suspects in captivity made us less safe. Weakening America economically made us less safe.

Even ignoring events prior to the terrorist attacks, the Bush administration deserves a failing grade, even on the one issue of its supposed strength.

Re: Evaluating George and Dick | Report to Admin

By The Bard of Wilmette May 27th 2009 at 2:28 pm EDT (Updated May 27th 2009 at 2:28 pm EDT)

Sorry for the misspelling. I meant "exaggerating," not "exagerrating" (sic).

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