Chemical, Nuclear Arms Still 'Major Threat,' Cheney Says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6345-2003Dec16.html ^ | 12/17/2003 | Mike Allen

[tmp02]

Chemical, Nuclear Arms Still 'Major Threat,' Cheney Says Vice President Decries 'Cheap Shot' Journalism By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Page A15 Vice President Cheney warned this week that "the major threat" facing the nation is the possibility that terrorists could detonate a biological or nuclear weapon in a U.S. city. [Ad] [Ad] [Ad] Cheney told commentator Armstrong Williams that the war on terrorism is "going to go on for a long time" and that U.S. soil remains vulnerable to al Qaeda, the network behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The vice president said one of his biggest worries is "the possibility of that group of terrorists acquiring deadlier weapons to use against us -- a biological weapon of some kind, or even a nuclear weapon." "To contemplate the possibility of them unleashing that kind of capability -- of that kind of weapon, if you will, in the midst of one of our cities -- that's a scary proposition," he said. "It's one of the most important problems we face today, because I think that is the major threat." Cheney also criticized what he considers a proliferation of "cheap shot journalism" about the administration. "People don't check the facts," he said. Cheney's language about threats was similar to previous admonitions. He made the remarks in response to a question about what scares him as vice president. He said part of his job is "contemplating sort of worst-case scenarios for attacks on the United States." Cheney said in the 35-minute interview, taped Monday and made available to The Washington Post yesterday, that he believes "we're winning now" in the war on terrorism. "We've seen, just recently, of course, the wrap-up of Saddam Hussein, one of the worst offenders in the 20th century," Cheney said. "We've wrapped up a large part of the al Qaeda organization, but there are still a lot of folks out there." He cited an estimate that training camps in Afghanistan in the late 1990s produced at least 20,000 terrorists. Cheney has often been the subject of critical news coverage, including his prewar allegations about the arsenal of unconventional weapons that Hussein might possess, his refusal to release records of his energy policy task force, and his connection to the Halliburton Co., which has been paid $5 billion on government contracts for rebuilding Iraq and has been accused by a Pentagon audit of overbilling the Army by $61 million for gasoline. Cheney called the free press "a vital part of society," but added: "On occasion, it drives me nuts." When Williams asked what drives him nuts, Cheney said, "When I see stories that are fundamentally inaccurate." "It's the hypocrisy that sometimes arises when some in the press portray themselves as objective observers of the passing scene, when they obviously are not objective," he said. "Cheap shot journalism. Not everybody is guilty of it, but it happens." He said coverage has changed over the years, asserting that there is "such an emphasis now on getting there fast with a story that oftentimes accuracy goes out the window." Cheney did not give examples. But he said many journalists have not tried to find out "the real facts" when writing about Halliburton, a Houston-based energy conglomerate of which he was chairman before becoming Bush's running mate. "There are an awful lot of people in the press who don't understand the business community," Cheney said. "I think our political opponents have spent a lot of time hammering away on trying to find some allegation that Halliburton got favoritism on contracts, or trying to make some kind of connection they've never been able to make. There's no evidence to support anything like that, but if you repeat it often enough, it becomes sort of an article of faith." Portions of the interview will air this week on television stations owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Locally, that includes WBFF, Channel 45, in Baltimore. The conversation will be shown later on Williams's cable show, "The Right Side," which is on Comcast Channel 6 in the District.

[jraven]

He makes a lot of sense. And it's true: our country needs someone who thinks about worst case scenarios, prepares for them, and attempts to prevent them from becoming reality. Chaney has a lot of heart (attacks...)
(Well, I had to stick one bad joke in among the serious stuff..)

[Pagey]

"...the possibility of that group of terrorists acquiring deadlier weapons to use against us -- a biological weapon of some kind, or even a nuclear weapon." "To contemplate the possibility of them unleashing that kind of capability -- of that kind of weapon, if you will, in the midst of one of our cities -- that's a scary proposition," he said. "It's one of the most important problems we face today, because I think that is the major threat..."

Dick Cheney is saying this out loud for a reason.I sure am glad to know the Feds and the CIA are communicating with each other now.

[jungleboy]

Say the lie often enough ...BS writer keeps spreading the lie...I'll give this ding-dong scum report an example about lack of FACT CHECKING right here in his article

He writes... Halliburton Co., which has been paid $5 billion on government contracts for rebuilding Iraq and has been accused by a Pentagon audit of overbilling the Army by $61 million for gasoline.

This has been PROVEN to be a FALSE accusation!

[ExSoldier]

I can't speak to the NUKE threat but the threat from chemicals and possibly biological agents is severely curtailed during the winter months. Such "agents" don't do well in the climatic conditions of the north American winter. Not much or waaaaay too much dispersal, no persistency, ease of DECON procedures. All due to the weather. I'm a graduate of the army Nuclear Biological and Chemical Warfare School. When old man winter shows up. I quit worrying about those. Now, the nuke is something else, especially the real tactical explosive type instead of the "dirty bomb" which will suffer the same problems as the other agents.

I think that as far as the coming holiday season and terror, it's far more likely there will be car/truck bomb attacks or ragheads with AK's in packed shopping malls in the north east.

NOT in the south where they have come to fear the armed citizen, in exactly the same way the Israelis showed them up. For the most part, citizens who take the trouble to learn for the permit will also become proficient with the weapon and if carrying it, they will be prepared to ACT. Read the new Tom Clancy novel: "The Tiger's Teeth" and you'll see exactly what I mean. It's going to happen, it's a foregone conclusion. It's the main reason I stopped carrying minor caliber when shopping. Now only a "shorty forty" or preferably a .45 ParaOrdnance P10 or C6. With at least one spare mag. ALWAYS. Serious guns for serious times....