Former GOP House leader says Cheney misled him on Iraq

[proud2BlibKansan]

The vice president told Dick Armey, who in 2002 spoke against going to war, that Saddam Hussein had direct ties to Al Qaeda and would soon have a suitcase nuclear weapon, a new book says.

From the Washington Post
September 16, 2008

WASHINGTON -- A GOP congressional leader who was wavering on giving President Bush the authority to wage war in late 2002 said Vice President Dick Cheney misled him by saying that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had direct personal ties to Al Qaeda terrorists and was making rapid progress toward a suitcase nuclear weapon, according to a new book by Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman.

Cheney's accusations, described by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, came in a classified one-on-one briefing in the vice president's office in the Capitol.

The threat Cheney described went far beyond public statements that have been criticized for relying on "cherry-picked" intelligence of unknown reliability. There was no intelligence to support the vice president's private assertions, Gellman reports.

Armey had spoken out against the coming war, and his opposition gave cover to Democrats who feared the political costs of appearing weak. Armey reversed his position after Cheney told him, he said, that the threat from Iraq was "more imminent than we want to portray to the public at large."

more . . . http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-na-cheney16-2008sep16,0,6816973.story

[northsongs]

1. One more piece of evidence...

Ms. Pelosi, are you listening?

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. No I am afraid she is not listening

Welcome to DU :hi:

[indepat]

3. Mere treason doesn't even begin to describe the tip of the enormity and breadth of crimes

committed against this nation and its people imv, yet tens of millions, including most of the MSM, seemingly still support this cabal, its deeds, heirs, and assigns. :D

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. And may he rest in peace - Tim Russert

I can never forgive him for the pass he gave these monsters in the lead up to the war.

[indepat]

7. Nor forget nor forgive or forget the pass a Tom Brokaw continues to give, especially when Tom and

ilk must fully know the score, must fully know the scope and enormity of the crimes perpetrated against this nation, its Constitution, its people, and all humanity. :D

[Jack Zim]

4. Not news

Haven't Bush cronies been emerging like mad saying they were mislead? Rats, sinking ship, etc.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Well I am glad they are speaking out - FINALLY

but you are correct.

Welcome to DU :hi:

[emulatorloo]

8. I was pretty sure this was the kind of shit Cheney was feeding people during IWR runup

Glad to hear Armey finally speaking out