Gold9472
01-09-2009, 10:32 PM
Cheney, in last days in office, still hopes to catch bin Laden
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Cheney_in_last_days_in_office_still_01092009.html
AFP
Published: Friday January 9, 2009
Outgoing US Vice President Dick Cheney Friday did not give up hope of capturing or killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, with only 11 days left before Barack Obama moves into the White House.
"We've got a few days left yet," Cheney told CNN when asked why bin Laden or Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri continue to elude US capture.
Cheney was quick to say he was unaware of any impending strike on bin Laden, but suggested the Islamist leader was not effectively in control of his organization.
"We would like very much to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, but my guess is at this point, he's operating in an area that's very difficult, very hard to get to, that he's not an effective leader at this stage," he said.
It was hard to target Al-Qaeda without bin Laden "coming out of whatever hole he's hiding in," Cheney said.
The US military operation in the "war on terror" had other big priorities, he added.
"A much more important problem is keeping the country safe. And we've done that now for seven and a half years," he said.
After Obama's inauguration to the US presidency on January 20, Cheney was also confident the mission to capture bin Laden will continue.
"I'm sure the hunt will go on after we leave," he said.
Cheney also defended the controversial terror surveillance and interrogation programs in the US-led "war on terror."
"A much bigger problem, a much more important problem is keeping the country safe. And we've done that now for seven and a half years," Cheney argued.
"All those steps we took in the aftermath of 9/11, have had, I think, a remarkable impact, and that there has not been another mass casualty attack on the United States since 9/11. That's a great achievement."
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Cheney_in_last_days_in_office_still_01092009.html
AFP
Published: Friday January 9, 2009
Outgoing US Vice President Dick Cheney Friday did not give up hope of capturing or killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, with only 11 days left before Barack Obama moves into the White House.
"We've got a few days left yet," Cheney told CNN when asked why bin Laden or Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri continue to elude US capture.
Cheney was quick to say he was unaware of any impending strike on bin Laden, but suggested the Islamist leader was not effectively in control of his organization.
"We would like very much to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, but my guess is at this point, he's operating in an area that's very difficult, very hard to get to, that he's not an effective leader at this stage," he said.
It was hard to target Al-Qaeda without bin Laden "coming out of whatever hole he's hiding in," Cheney said.
The US military operation in the "war on terror" had other big priorities, he added.
"A much more important problem is keeping the country safe. And we've done that now for seven and a half years," he said.
After Obama's inauguration to the US presidency on January 20, Cheney was also confident the mission to capture bin Laden will continue.
"I'm sure the hunt will go on after we leave," he said.
Cheney also defended the controversial terror surveillance and interrogation programs in the US-led "war on terror."
"A much bigger problem, a much more important problem is keeping the country safe. And we've done that now for seven and a half years," Cheney argued.
"All those steps we took in the aftermath of 9/11, have had, I think, a remarkable impact, and that there has not been another mass casualty attack on the United States since 9/11. That's a great achievement."