Categories: Need to know

Cheney defies protesters, defends record before Vancouver appearance

Protesters accuse former U.S. Vice President of war crimes and torture

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 11:49am - 16 Comments

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney defended his track record in office and dismissed the claims of protesters ahead of his appearance at a Vancouver book club Monday. Speaking with the Globe and Mail, Cheney defended his support of the controversial waterboarding technique used to extract information from senior al-Qaeda operatives. He also stood behind his hawkish advocacy for the U.S. invasion of Iraq, insisting that the world is a better place now that Saddam Hussein is gone, adding that the “war on terrorism” has been worth the cost—both human and financial. Many people were angry that Cheney was allowed to enter Canada, saying his frank support of torture and his support of an “illegal” war in Iraq qualify as crimes against humanity. Some have called for his arrest on war crimes, while others—including a federal NDP MP—wanted him to be barred from Canada. Cheney was in Vancouver at a $500-a-plate dinner to promote his new memoir, In My Time.

The Globe and Mail

Tags: Dick Cheney

RubenTimes

A Vancouver book club? The Vancouver Club the old boys private club a Club that during the South African boycott still served South African wine as the house wine. A book club really Macleans guess we know who your masters are.

Anonymous

The event was sponsored by a book club that rented space from the Vancouver Club, not the club itself. The Vancouver Club has not had any restricitons on membership (other than money) for a number of years.

Anonymous

The world is a much WORSE place following eight years of Bush and Cheney.
Anonymous

Mr. Cheney doesn’t just support torture, he ordered it. That is why he is a war criminal, as yet unindicted, and why Canada should have barred him, and why he should have been arrested.
                       Standing for justice and accountability,
                                     For Dan,
                                     Heather
Anonymous

He’s disgusting. I could elaborate but it is just not worth the effort.

AVR

And he’ll die in bed, surrounded by family, with a clear conscience, and rich. Enjoy!

Anonymous

Its not really a ‘clear’ conscience when he just doesn’t have one. But the rest of your post is true, sadly.

Anonymous

Perhaps AVR meant with a blank conscience.

Brian_Michael

Good God, you’re right.

Anonymous

Mr. Cheney’s faults don’t excuse the behaviour of the demonstrators who appear to believe that a persons right to speak, or hear, any conflicting opinion should be limited by the size and violence of whatever mob can be mustered to oppose it. Demostrating your opinion is one thing – using violence and the threat of violence to stop people from listening to a speaker (or, in some cases, attending a birthday party at the club in question) is another. The demonstrators were no more respectful of law or individual rights than Mr. Cheney was.

Anonymous

Please indicate what violent methods the protesters used.

Anonymous

Physically blocking someone’s way is assault in itself. The protestors went further and actually pushed people down and, in one case, grabbed a worker at the club by the throat. Is that violent enough for you?

Anonymous

Choking the staffer (if it happened) was wrongheaded, stupid, and violent. The rest is fabrication. Sitting down in front of the rear entrance isn’t violence, it’s non-violent civil disobedience.

Anonymous

Physically blocking someone’s way is assault in itself. The protestors went further and actually pushed people down and, in one case, grabbed a worker at the club by the throat. Is that violent enough for you?

Anonymous

Here’s a question for an interviewer:

“Mr. Cheney, you presided over the the Iraq War, which was triggered on false evidence of WMDs being developed and stockpiled in Iraq. Those WMDs were never found, never existed, and the evidence for them was based on fabrication. Do you feel the least bit of remorse for initiating that war based on lies? You probably could have gotten domestic support for the war by making the case that Saddam Hussein is an evil dictator who is oppressing his own people. Why did you feel the need to lie to Americans prior to starting this war?”
Anonymous

Here’s a question for an interviewer:

“Mr. Cheney, you presided over the the Iraq War, which was triggered on false evidence of WMDs being developed and stockpiled in Iraq. Those WMDs were never found, never existed, and the evidence for them was based on fabrication. Do you feel the least bit of remorse for initiating that war based on lies? You probably could have gotten domestic support for the war by making the case that Saddam Hussein is an evil dictator who is oppressing his own people. Why did you feel the need to lie to Americans prior to starting this war?”