Clare Short's Message for Dick Cheney

By: Charles Cooper
Topics: In The News

(AP Photo )

When it came to expressing her opinions as a member of Tony Blair's cabinet, Clare Short was never a shrinking violet. If she rubbed people the wrong way - and she did often - that was their problem. The woman was going to speak her mind, regardless. The same goes for her frank testimony before a British inquiry into the chronology of events leading to the 2003 Iraq war. (The TimesOnline live blogged the event here.)

Short, who was the U.K.'s International Development Secretary before resigning a couple of months after the March 2003 invasion, essentially accused former U.K. leader Tony Blair of lying and of having misled his cabinet. Asked why she didn't leave the government earlier, Short pointed a finger at Blair, saying she had been "conned" into believing that the United Nations would play a bigger role in the post-war construction of Iraq.

"You don't want to disbelieve your prime minister in the run-up to war and you want to believe the leader of your party," she said. You want to be loyal."

A few of Short's other bons mots:

"There was no evidence of any kind of an escalation of threats."

"We could have gone more slowly and carefully and not have had a totally destabilized and angry Iraq."

"The American people were misled to suggest that al-Qaeda had links to Saddam Hussein."

"Everybody knows that is untrue - that (Saddam) had absolutely no links, no sympathy, al-Qaeda were nowhere near Iraq until after the invasion and the disorder that came from that."

"Britain needs to think about this, the special relationship. What do we mean by it."

"We have made Iraq more dangerous as well as causing enormous suffering and diminishing our reputation."

Cooked evidence, shaded declarations by the political elite, poorly thought-out post-invasion plans - where have we heard all that before? Not that Short's testimony likely will have any impact on this side of the Atlantic. With her testimony, Short has only opened herself up to attacks from rightwing supporters of the war in this country, who still find ways to rationalize the invasion. I wonder, though, how many of them will weigh her statements without passion or prejudice before firing off their blunderbusses?

Charles Cooper is an executive editor at CNET News. He has covered technology and business for more than 25 years, working at CBSNews.com, the Associated Press, Computer & Software News, Computer Shopper, PC Week, and ZDNet. E-mail Charlie.

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by jgg000101 February 3, 2010 10:54 PM EST: charles cooper must have realized that the only way anybody would read his article was if he put dick cheney's name in it. Aside from his headline, I'm still looking for any mention of cheney.; Reply to this comment


by 4thought February 3, 2010 9:39 PM EST: The scary thing is ... a lot of people will believe this is news. It's old stuff people. Young men and women were maimed and died and continue to be based on lies and misinformation.So sad.Please take a good look all you and think on this.; Reply to this comment


by AtLasOn1Kl733 February 3, 2010 9:32 PM EST: I like reading these stories wondering if any of it is true but most of all reading the comments left by the people. Ever notice that most of the comments left are always left by the angry group? I hardly see any positive remarks.; Reply to this comment


by ALBrainTrust10 February 3, 2010 4:13 PM EST: WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS STORY HAVE TO DO WITH DICK CHENEY? THERE IS NO MENTION OF HIM IN IT.

THIS MUST BE LEFTY COOP TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO READ HIS DRIVEL BY FLASHING CHENEY'S NAME IN THE BANNER???; Reply to this comment


by stinger1z February 3, 2010 12:49 PM EST: Where were all the fiscal conservatives when Cheney said "Deficits don't matter"? All of a sudden now its out of control spending? I can't wait for Cheney to kick the bucket so we can all say "SO!!"; Reply to this comment

by Ronjon7 February 3, 2010 11:15 AM EST

This lady is an expert why? She sounds like her next job should be with Acorn. Opinions from 7 years ago is not news.

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by OldProfessor February 3, 2010 2:23 PM EST: The lady is an expert because the Brits say she is. ...But if you doubt what she is saying go back and review Secretary Powell's presentation to the UN. Those who knew the capability of the US capacity for monitoring radio transmissions, knew that that he was wrong on several accounts. And as the truth slowly trickled out and events exposed the errors, every one came to know the US and Britain and much of the world had been suckered by the Bush/Cheney regime.

Of course it is old news but if mistakes are forgotten they are likely to be repeated.


by Jim1900 February 3, 2010 11:02 AM EST: She is quite right, and painfully so. It should not take a Brit to tell the U.S. the obvious. However, the Brits (God Bless them) like to imagine that W. and Cheney put one over on Tony and dragged him into it. The "lapdog" theory is an article of faith over across the pond. I think when the real history is written, it will be seen that he was as much of an instigator as the Neocons over here. He is just more polite about it.; Reply to this comment

by platteman February 3, 2010 9:20 AM EST

George W. Bush and Dick Chaney are heros and either of them are smarter than Obozo who wants to take from everyone and make us slaves of the government.

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by PVperson2 February 3, 2010 7:43 PM EST: blatherman, I will always feel that the choice statement from your "hero" that "the constitution is only a damn piece of paper" is the most damning thing either of those un-America aholes ever said among the so many un-American things they said and did.


by ianlou February 3, 2010 8:44 AM EST: The main reason the Bush admin sought the help of the British in Iraq was to provide a supporting second oppinion for the legitimacy of the war.

Oops......

I can hear the NeoCons starting to chirp already...

"This is old history!, Why are we digging up old history?!!
We need to focus on running the Godless Socialists out of power
before they actually do something that improves the lives of the voting masses!!!"; Reply to this comment