Cheney warns of nuclear attack

Submitted by WW4 Report on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 16:08

Do you think he's planning something? From the NY Daily News, Feb. 4:

Former VP Dick Cheney warns of nuclear attack on United States under President Obama
WASHINGTON - Dick Cheney isn't finished scaring the bejesus out of America.

The former vice president warned Wednesday that there's a "high probability" the U.S. will get nuked by terrorists during President Obama's watch.

"The ultimate threat to the country [is] a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter - a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind," Cheney told Politico.com from his latest undisclosed location - his new Virginia office.

Cheney said that "perhaps hundreds of thousands of people" would perish in such a strike, and that "there's a high probability of such an attempt."

He also appeared to miss his role defending ex-President George W. Bush for "the dark side" of fighting terrorists. In his first interview since leaving office, Cheney described that effort to protect the country as "a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business."

"We're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek," Cheney added.

The ex-veep had little kind to say about Obama's plan to shut down the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Cheney griped that Democrats "are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist" than protecting the U.S. from Osama Bin Laden's gang.

Some think "if we just go talk nice to these folks, everything's going to be okay," he said. "They're optimistic . . . We were."The former vice president warned Wednesday that there's a "high probability" the U.S. will get nuked by terrorists during President Obama's watch.

"The ultimate threat to the country [is] a 9/11-type event where the terrorists are armed with something much more dangerous than an airline ticket and a box cutter - a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind," Cheney told Politico.com from his latest undisclosed location - his new Virginia office.

Cheney said that "perhaps hundreds of thousands of people" would perish in such a strike, and that "there's a high probability of such an attempt."

He also appeared to miss his role defending ex-President George W. Bush for "the dark side" of fighting terrorists. In his first interview since leaving office, Cheney described that effort to protect the country as "a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business."

"We're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek," Cheney added.

The ex-veep had little kind to say about Obama's plan to shut down the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Cheney griped that Democrats "are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist" than protecting the U.S. from Osama Bin Laden's gang.

Some think "if we just go talk nice to these folks, everything's going to be okay," he said. "They're optimistic . . . We were."

See our last posts on Dick Cheney and nuclear fear.

Abdul Qadeer Khan free

Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Fri, 02/06/2009 - 18:31

Gee, good timing, Dick. From AP, Feb. 6:

Disgraced Pakistan nuke scientist freed by court
ISLAMABAD – Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist who helped Pakistan develop nuclear weapons and allegedly leaked atomic secrets to North Korea, Iran and Libya, was freed from years of de facto house arrest Friday by a high court ruling.

The United States, which worries that Iran has used Pakistani know-how in pursuit of nuclear arms, said the disgraced scientist's release would be "extremely regrettable."

State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said Khan remained a "serious proliferation risk." He said the United States was still trying to confirm Khan's official status.

On Friday, a smiling Khan emerged from his house in the Pakistani capital and addressed reporters face-to-face for the first time since 2004.

However, he indicated he would not be discussing Pakistan's atomic bomb program or about who was involved in leaking its secrets around the world.

"We don't want to talk about the past things," he said as the guards who have enforced his long isolation stood aside for a throng of TV crews and journalists.

Khan, the architect of Pakistan's nuclear program, took sole responsibility in 2004 for leaking the nuclear secrets but was immediately pardoned by former President Pervez Musharraf and placed under de facto house arrest. The government insists neither it nor the Pakistani military was aware of his activities.

See our last posts on Pakistan and Abdul Qadeer Khan.