Posted on 06/24/2004 1:22:38 PM PDT by quidnunc
Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday that suggestions the former Iraqi regime did not have a relationship with al Qaeda are "not accurate," and said he would like to see the U.S. government declassify some of the intelligence that supports Bush administration claims about an Iraq-al Qaeda connection.
"I think we should declassify as much as we can," Cheney said in a wide-ranging, 45 minute interview in the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington. Cheney said the desire to make public some of the intelligence about Iraq and al Qaeda must be balanced against the need to protect sources and methods. "There is always the temptation to respond to the pressures of the moment by putting as much stuff out there as possible. But you don't want to do so in a way that is damaging to our capacity to collect information in the future." The call for declassification of material relating to the Iraq-al Qaeda connection has come from a variety of sources, including this magazine and the New York Times editorial page.
Cheney's comments come as some Democrats have stepped up their criticism of the Bush administration and its case for war in Iraq. House Democrats filed to the floor of that chamber in recent days to denounce the administration for misleading Americans on Iraq. Numerous top Democrats — including party chairman Terry McAuliffe and Senate majority leader Tom Daschle — attended the U.S. premiere of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11, a film that accuses the Bush administration of lying to take the nation to war. Former Vice President Al Gore is set to give a speech today at Georgetown University's Law Center focusing on the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship and accusing the Bush administration of using "dishonesty as an essential part of their policy process."
While Cheney was less aggressive in his comments on the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship yesterday than he was in his criticism of news accounts last week about the September 11 Commission staff statements, he did not back down from his central argument: it is "not accurate" to suggest that there was no relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
He's probably better off keeping quiet. After the liberall (sic) media spins his words they'll have him saying Saddam funded 9/11.
Just read on the forums that CNN was reporting that yesterday Cheney cussed the "F" word at Leahy for challenging him on Halliburton on the Senate floor. Anyone hear anything on this?
I think I'd drop an F-bomb too if I was talking to Leahy.
Cheney Speaks:
"F!$@!$#% Leahy!"
Even if they could declassify enough, Bush would still have a hard campaign ahead. Those who hate him wouldn't care if evidence came out that Saddam directly funded the 9/11 hijackers.
And today Algore stepped right in it, and the media will "challenge" the Bush administration to let the info out.
LOL! Thanks, Al!
And Gore was in the White House for eight-years, so it's not like he doesn't already know the truth.
Naw. The Clintoons kept Gore away from the sharp objects as well as anything serious about our nation's security. Poor Al Bore. Must suck always being the one on the outside looking in.
"Just read on the forums that CNN was reporting that yesterday Cheney cussed the "F" word at Leahy for challenging him on Halliburton on the Senate floor. Anyone hear anything on this?"
I searched the web, Yahoo news, and CNN.
Found nothing about it.
possible translation - hold it for an October surprise.
"He's probably better off keeping quiet. After the liberall (sic) media spins his words they'll have him saying Saddam funded 9/11."
But that's the whole point. Saddam supported Al Qaeda with training, weapons and money. If you support Al Qaeda in any way-shape-form, you funded 9/11.
"Even if they could declassify enough, Bush would still have a hard campaign ahead. Those who hate him wouldn't care if evidence came out that Saddam directly funded the 9/11 hijackers."
This is essentially what my Dad was saying yesterday. Depressing, and I hope NOT true.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.