Former US vice president defends invasion of Iraq
Former US vice president Dick Cheney says he was right to support the invasion and occupation of Iraq under the administration of George W. Bush.
"Well if people say, Dick Cheney was wrong about Iraq, why should they listen to you on Iran [nuclear program]?" asked Juan Williams, a commentator for Fox News and columnist for The Hill newspaper.
"Because I was right about Iraq," Cheney responded on Wednesday.
"Our objective was to take down Saddam Hussein. We did it. The world's a much better place without him," he added.
Cheney, one of the key architects of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, has increased his criticism of the Obama administration’s foreign policy in recent months. White House officials have shrugged off Cheney’s criticism and have faulted him for misjudgments on the Iraq war.
In 2003, Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq under the pretext that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. In October 2004, however, a CIA report revealed that Saddam did not have any active WMD program at the time of the invasion.
The former vice president made similar comments about the Iraq war on Tuesday.
"It was the right thing to do then. I believed it then and I believe it now," Cheney said in an interview on CNN.
The Iraq war has resurfaced as an issue for US presidential candidates, including former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is also younger brother George W. Bush.
Bush’s efforts to present himself as an effective future president has been complicated by the unpopular war his brother waged in Iraq.
Russia: Poland’s talks on hosting US nuclear weapons ‘dangerous’
Russia says weighs downgrading ties with US if assets are seized
Iran urges US to stop support for Israel as university revolt spreads
Israel ‘spoofs’ GPS signals, endangers flight safety amid Gaza war: Report
Iran urges Security Council to address 'belligerent' Israeli atrocities
VIDEO | Leader meets workers on Labor Week
French police called in to break up US-style pro-Palestinian student demo
VIDEO | US continues starving Syrians, stealing their resources
Yemeni forces strike Israeli ship, Port of Eilat in solidarity with Gaza
Columbia, Yale students bent on ending US support for Israeli genocide
VIDEO | Genocide in Gaza
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
