Cheney Says Pre-emption Needed to Thwart Terrorism [View All]

[Nambe]

U.S. Department of State

Vice President Dick Cheney says the United States, together with its allies, is confronting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan "so that innocent civilians will not have to confront terrorist violence" anywhere in the world.

Addressing the annual convention of the Air Force Association in Washington September 17, Cheney responded to those who question the Bush administration's policy of taking pre-emptive action against terrorists. "Make no mistake," he said, "President Bush is acting to protect the American people against further attacks, even when that means moving aggressively against would-be attackers."

The former Cold War deterrence strategy of putting at risk the assets one's adversary values most is no longer appropriate to the new threat posed by terrorists, the vice president said, because "here is nothing they value highly enough that we can put at risk to keep them from launching an attack against the United States." ---


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