1992 Cheney: Deposing Saddam not worth very many lives.
A recently-unearthed video from 1992 shows Vice President Dick Cheney predicting the mess that occupying Iraq would create:
If you get into the business of committing U.S. forces on the ground in Iraq, to occupy the place, my guess is I’d probably still have people there today instead of having been able to bring them home…The bottom line question for me was: How many additional American lives is Saddam Hussein worth? The answer: not very damn many.
Watch it:
In 1994, Dick Cheney said deposing Saddam Hussein would have created a “quagmire” that would not be worth the loss of American life. In 2000, when asked why the U.S. didn’t topple Hussein in the Gulf War, Cheney said, “I thought the decision was sound at the time, and I do today.”
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Why won’t Cheney listen to Cheney?
September 27th, 2007 at 5:24 pmSecrety Freak cheney’s words always come back to bite him in the ass.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:25 pmAh, Grasshopper — that was *then*, and this is *now*.
*eyeroll*
September 27th, 2007 at 5:29 pmWhy this tape is shown now?
September 27th, 2007 at 5:33 pmduring last presidential elections Kerry stood idle while he was attacked daily,about flip flopping,his military record was shredded to pieces by Swift Boating group.
The Democrats stayed silent..the damage was done. This tape of Cheney had it been shown then..would have made a hell of difference before last election.
But Kerry took the punches, and gave back none …that’s why he lost.
So if Cheney ever gets asked about this “contradiction”, he’ll fall back to the “9-11 changed everything” line. This man needs to be impeached and prosecuted.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:36 pmYea, Yea, Yea we know.
What we need to know is, Who cares?
September 27th, 2007 at 5:36 pmComment by CaptainMantastic — September 27, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
What changed from 1994 and 2003? There was no increase in any of the WMD’s. There were no verifiable connections between AQ and Saddam.
Your argument doesn’t hold any water.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:38 pmcaptainlittleman: Your comparison belies your total lack of intellect.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:38 pm9-11 changed everything. It made you stupid.
Sacrificing 300,000 lives to depose Hitler probably didn’t make much sense in 1933 either.
Comment by CaptainMantastic — September 27, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
Not even a remotely similar position. Hitler was coming into power in 1933, Saddam was coming into power in 1980 around the time that Reagan was helping him with money to fight the Iranians. in 2003, Saddam was a nobody, his military shattered, his country not completely his. As usual comparing Saddam to Hitler doesn’t add up.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:38 pmComment by tarazan — September 27, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
So right.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:39 pmThe Daily Show did this story a few months ago. I think KO did one also. It didn’t get any traction then and it won’t get any traction now. It is another example of where the kings in our white house have always screwed up, but the MSM won’t cover it for fear of losing their invites to the cocktail weanie parties. Because the MSM has ties to defence, telecom, and many others business units, they cannort upset the powers that be - and that ain’t you an I. The worst news of this admionistration will be uncovered in about +/- 50 years. By then we will either be all dead, or subject to the monarchy that has taken over. Americans do not have the balls to stop what is happening. We will deserve all that comes to us, and our children. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. America was doomed as soon as the SCOTUS stopped counting votes in Florida in 2000. We showed no outrage then, and we won’t show any outrage now.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:39 pmYou are overlooking one point: all that BS (self explanatory conventional usage) was BH (before Haliburton).
Cheney’s ranting then was before he discovered Haliburton and the Iraqi oil. You can’t expect him to continue turning down omelets when he discovers the Easter eggs are colored gold.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:41 pmStratRat: You can either throw up your hands and whine or work to throw the bums out in 2008.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:42 pmCaptainglanstatic hasn’t been watching “The War” on PBS.
also, there is no parallel whatever between that real War, and this so-called “War”. none. they are 0.000% similar. Just ask a military historian. Or a sociologist. Or a Professor at the Army War College. Or a graduate of West Point.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:46 pm“As usual comparing Saddam to Hitler doesn’t add up.”
Comment by Krazny
You cannot draw the same conclusion when comparing Bush and Hitler. It all adds up to a modern holocaust with the American troops and the lower 99% of the taxpayers being led to the chambers. Unfortunately those chambers aren’t in a concentration camp the are in Washington DC and are called the White House, the Senate, and the House of Misrepresentation..
September 27th, 2007 at 5:47 pmStratRat: You can either throw up your hands and whine or work to throw the bums out in 2008.
Comment by helenahandbasket
100% agreed. I am whining, but also working on trying to find a politician who can save our country. My rant sounds a little melodramatic (sp?), but I think that is where we are headed. The Move’on condemnation vote, funding for the war, impeachment off the table, etc…all indicate that we do not have the proper people in government working for us. That is why the power of the blogs is such a scary force to the beltway pundits. TP (and its bloggers) have absolutely shaped the way I approach my government. I write letters and emails, I speak to friends about what they can do, I call the confresscritters - all that stuff. It makes me frustrated to think that the really important news either gets ignored in the MSM, or balanced in some unfair way. I guess there always is hope. I’ll keep looking for it.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:49 pmBut don;t you see… 9/11 changed everything here, though nothing in Iraq. What changed here is that neocons saw an opportunity to radically change our foreign policy posture into an imperialist one, and exploit the FUD 9/11 caused to make sweeping power grabs. Meanwhile, a vast chunk of the electorate and the punditry class stood in a pee-puddle and watched them do it.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:50 pm“In 1994, then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney said…”
Wait, Cheney was Clinton’s Sec. of Def.??
September 27th, 2007 at 5:50 pmSacrificing 300,000 lives to depose Hitler probably didn’t make much sense in 1933 either.
Comment by CaptainMantastic
Right Wing Loon Strawman on aisle 3, Right Wing Loon Strawman on aisle 3, cleanup please.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:53 pmI thought our morale had already been beaten about the head and neck when it was uncovered on YouTube a few months ago that Cheney had said ten years ago that getting into war in Iraq would result in a “quagmire”.
His power of clairvoyance must’ve gone on strike when he got that fake heart implanted.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:55 pmWait, Cheney was Clinton’s Sec. of Def.??
Comment by wotan23 — September 27, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
ROFL
I can see it now:
Bill: Hey Cheney how is the situation in Bosnia shaping up?
September 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pmDick: Go F*ck yourself!
“In 1994, then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney said…â€
Wait, Cheney was Clinton’s Sec. of Def.??
Comment by wotan23 — September 27, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
#
Good catch!
Cheney served as the Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January 1993 under President George H. W. Bush.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:57 pmCaptain Mantastic: “Sacrificing 300,000 lives to depose Hitler probably didn’t make much sense in 1933 either.”
Between 1933 and 1942, Hitler executed 20 million Jews, Polish people, gypsies, people of color and homosexuals. He invaded and annexed Poland, France and a number of other European countries. He declared war on the United States and became an allie of another industrial power which attacked the U.S. He also presided over one of the biggest industrial machines the world had ever seen.
Between 1994 and 2002, Saddam Hussein did….. what exactly? Mantastic, what on earth could possibly inform your silly comparison between Hitler and Hussein?
September 27th, 2007 at 6:07 pmThe 1994 quote should have probably said “former Sec. of Defense Cheney”
September 27th, 2007 at 6:10 pmCheney was defending his former boss, George Bush the elder, in his decision to not March on to Baghdad in 1991. The right wing hawks were ferocious in their criticism of Bush’s week kneed failure to topple Sadaam and “finish the job”.
Events have since clearly shown that Bush I was right about this, and toppling Sadaam would create many more problems than it solved. Chief among them, a resurgent Iran.
I agree that the press dropped the ball in not balancing cheney’s “mushroom cloud” rhetoric with his earlier statements.
But the Iraq war was supposed to be a cakewalk, so why bother.
Cheney was against wasting American lives in Iraq before he was for it.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:21 pmDeadeye Dick didn’t want to preempt the refinements of his huge pension coming from the profits of Haliburton which were probably not in place back then.
He was only “for the war” when his money train was well in place. I hope he chokes on his “blood for oil” money. The blood of thousands of innocent victims (WTC, Iraq War, and Iraqi people) will be on his hands for eternity.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:24 pmI predict that hard-hearted (literally) Dick will not be around to even spend his gazillions at the present rate of his health.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:24 pmWith his heart condition, I give him less than two years.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:25 pmPerhaps he’ll leave all his gazillions to his lesbian daughter.
Isn’t that nice…?
September 27th, 2007 at 6:28 pmSacrificing 300,000 lives to depose Hitler probably didn’t make much sense in 1933 either. Comment by CaptainMantastic
We probably wouldn’t have had to depose the psycho if certain coporations and banks hadn’t aided and abetted him.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:32 pmHey DICK, I guess 3,801 dead Americans are not too damn many for you.
And guess what? Saddam has been EXECUTED. As in DEAD. What’s your excuse now War Monger?
September 27th, 2007 at 6:39 pmWe probably wouldn’t have had to fight Hitler, if after world war I, we had launched a Marshall Plan to get Europe back on its feet, instead of leaving Germany to starve.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:41 pmThink it is more, over the course of decades, it became apparent that Cheney’s stock options in Haliburton were worth it.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:02 pmBadger: “We probably wouldn’t have had to fight Hitler, if after world war I, we had launched a Marshall Plan to get Europe back on its feet, instead of leaving Germany to starve.”
And, you can blame the era of republican unregulated capitalism and isolationism in the 20’s on that.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:42 pmDarth Syphilis, I mean Dick Cheney doesn’t consider 3,800 Americans many lives. It could be 50,000 as long as it isn’t one of his vile spawn.
-GSD
September 27th, 2007 at 7:45 pmWe probably wouldn’t have had to depose the psycho if certain coporations and banks hadn’t aided and abetted him.
Comment by Xisithrus — September 27, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
*cough* Prescott Bush *cough*
September 27th, 2007 at 7:46 pmI think it is rather sadly laughable that Saddam Hussein carried out all of his atrocities while Bush’s father was in the Whitehouse.
-GSD
September 27th, 2007 at 7:47 pmGuys…I believe Cheney recently addressed his past comments about invading Iraq by now saying that he still stood by his words, but that now it was worth it.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:47 pmOf course it was worth it for Cheney, he was getting Halliburton dividends back in the early 1990’s.
Now he’s making millions.
-GSD
September 27th, 2007 at 7:50 pmI meant to say “he wasn’t getting dividends” back in the early 90’s.
-GSD
September 27th, 2007 at 7:50 pmKrazny and GSD - You’re right on. This is so sad! He knew exactly what would happen if we invaded Iraq and he made it happen anyway. The profit motive is what got this thing started and it’s the only thing keeping this disaster going.
September 27th, 2007 at 8:58 pmCheney and his vice-president George Bush never considered any unnecessary loss of lives before making decisions. The only important thing was and is PROFIT! And, as long as some entities are making good money, the war will not cease.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:13 pmIt’s sad that the Democrats were sent on a mission (past election) and now they just bowed down. They were our only hope - because unlike in other countries, people here are just paralyzed and won’t go to protest on the streets.
So, Washington keeps partying, using billions that we needed for ourselves (education, health, security, etc.). The money is just being transfered to other hands by a corrupt administration.
Well, many voted for that, so now eat it! (And hopefully, learn something!)
— “Why We Didn’t Remove Saddam” by George H.W. Bush
— George W. Bush
September 27th, 2007 at 9:46 pmGeorge H.W. Bush 1, God 0
September 27th, 2007 at 9:47 pmGuys…
I ran across this while researching a response to Squeegeboo in discussing the failed rescue attempt of the American hostages in Iran.
In testimony to Congress, where he spoke of his global obligations in relation to the hostages, Carter said the following:
It is a constantly — it is constantly a burden on my mind, no matter what I am thinking about. If I am worrying about an announcement that I am going to be a candidate for president or if I am worrying about the windfall profits tax or if I am worrying about anything else, I am always concerned about the hostages.
It is just as though my wife was in the hospital on the point of death and I had my duties to carry out and I didn’t know whether she was going to live or die. I worry just as much about those hostages, and I feel like they are all my own family.
Now, compare this to comments Bush said regarding the Iraq “war”:
“People would be surprised at how well I sleep at night.”
September 27th, 2007 at 10:26 pm.
Dick Cheney… FLIP FLOPPER!
He was against occupation …
before he was for it!
.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:22 am.
Comment by Bad Eye — September 27, 2007 @ 10:26 pm
Good catch, however keep in mind that we now live in a world where Big Pharma Corporations make rules, and the drugs, that keep Bush happy.
.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:25 am> Captain Mantastic
This is either Jake or Mighty Hermapodite Meagan.
Sad, but the guy who talked about the whitehaus weenie roasts is correct.
This story has gotten almost zero play in the media. Anyone who can look at how little traction a quote like this has gotten and claim the media has a liberal bias is totally detached from reality. 94 percent of the media in this country is bought and paid for.
funny experiment.. quote the cheney 94 statment to the next redneck you debate, but dont say who said it, and ask him what he thinks of the statement.. watch them say something like.. “that guys an idiot”!
Bigfoot, where are you on this one? thoughts?
let me guess… “9-11 changed everything” (including the laws of physics and basic human psychology)….
argue that all you want, if you look back, post 2000, these guys were not only saying invading iraq was necessary, but that it would be “a cakewalk”..”over in less than 6 months”…we’d be “greeted as liberators”..
how quickly their tune changes, once thier on the other side of the argument..
once again, the quintessitial right winger… totally internally inconsistent..
September 28th, 2007 at 6:48 amWhat changed between 1992 or 1994 and 2003? HALLIBURTON!!!
Cheney was hired by Halliburton because of his political ties. He then selected himself to be VP for someone who would let him carry out his plan for huge personal wealth. He (and the other war profiteers) saw the opportunity to get rich by running an immoral military operation- (for themselves and their friends,) and he grabbed it. It used to be a crime. I don’t understand why it isn’t anymore.
September 28th, 2007 at 9:20 amAlmost a complete reversal of Cheney’s current position.
One point where he seems to be consistent today is in his opinion that you need to maintain forces to keep the government propped up. That is obvious, given the fortress embassy being built.
Yes, Dick knew then, and knows now, that US forces will be there for a long, long time.
http://politics50.com
September 28th, 2007 at 12:44 pmOf course, that was before Cheney’s fortunes and success became entwined in black gold. To listen to the “old” (reasonable) Cheney would be to essentially kill his present and future fortunes. Ain’t gonna happen.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:37 pmWhy this tape is shown now?
during last presidential elections Kerry stood idle while he was attacked daily,about flip flopping,his military record was shredded to pieces by Swift Boating group. The Democrats stayed silent..the damage was done.
The question is, what kind of technical novices do they have in the Democratic party? This stuff is readily available and easily locate-able, but us working stiffs have jobs to do. Why aren’t there some really savvy people in the Democratic party unearthing this stuff?
Bush and Cheney (and its enablers) provide mounds of self-contradictory statements that question their present sanity, never mind their waffling.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:41 pm