Cheney: U.S. Won't Back Down In Iraq

Vice President Tells Troops In Japan That U.S. Will Complete The Mission

(CBS/AP)  Vice President Dick Cheney reaffirmed the Bush administration's commitment to the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq on Wednesday, saying the U.S. wants to finish its mission, then "come home with honor."

Cheney, who arrived in Japan on Tuesday, was given a 19-gun salute as he boarded the USS Kitty Hawk at this U.S. Navy base just south of Tokyo.

"The American people will not support a policy of retreat," Cheney told about 4,000 troops in the hangar bay. "We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done right, and then we want to come home, with honor."

Cheney said his brief visit to Japan was a gesture of appreciation for Tokyo, which has been one of Washington's most valuable allies in the war on terror by offering non-combat troops to assist U.S. efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Japan pulled its troops out of Iraq last year. The country still operates airlifts in the region in support of the U.S.-led forces, a mission set to end in July. Japan's navy has also provided fuel for coalition warships in the Afghan war since 2001.

Cheney also commented on British Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement that Britain would begin withdrawing its troops from southern Iraq, calling it a sign of progress.

"Well, I look at it and see it is actually an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well," Cheney said in an interview with ABC.

Cheney said he had spoken with a friend who traveled recently from Baghdad to Basra and "found the situation dramatically improved from a year or so ago."

In Japan, Cheney met with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko and Foreign Minister Taro Aso before holding talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Cheney and Abe discussed their countries' stances on North Korea, which has rattled the region with its nuclear ambitions but earlier this month agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor in exchange for energy aid and other incentives.

"We are cooperating to protect our countries from the dangers of nuclear proliferation," Cheney told Abe at a photo session prior to their talks. Earlier, Cheney said the accord with North Korea was "a correct first step," but pledged to keep up pressure on the communist regime to dismantle its nuclear program.

Despite the breakthrough, Japan has declined to contribute aid to the North until the issue of past abductions of its citizens is resolved. North Korea has admitted kidnapping Japanese in the late 1970s and '80s, but Japan believes it has not provided a full accounting of the victims.

Cheney told Abe at the photo session that the U.S. respects Japan's position and wants "to seek a resolution of the tragic case of Japanese abductees." He was to meet the parents of one of the abductees on Thursday before flying to Guam and then on to Australia, his final stop.

Cheney and Abe also discussed China's anti-satellite weapon test last month. They agreed it demonstrated the country's lack of transparency over its military and that Beijing needed to become a more "responsible and constructive force in international society," a Foreign Ministry official said later at a briefing on customary condition of anonymity.

Cheney relayed an invitation from President Bush for Abe to visit the U.S., the Foreign Ministry official said.

Also Wednesday, Cheney and Tokyo's top government spokesman, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, reiterated their countries' intentions to collaborate closely on missile defense and the realignment of U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

The U.S. has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan under a mutual security pact that dates back to the 1960s. Tokyo and Washington have been reworking that alliance to make the presence more effective. They are also developing a joint missile defense shield.

[mh4cbs1]

lars008:

You should read a little history of how Christian (so-called) fundamentalists butchered millions through the middle ages, genocide against non-believer indeginous Americans, and more recently have started numerous wars and coups, dropped cluster bombs, used cancer-causing depleted uranium, left hundreds of thousnads of land mines that blow up kids, sanctions killing hundreds of thousands. And now, lied us into a needless WAR of Death and Destruction in Iraq.

So stop with your self-righteous self-serving ignorant racsist proclomations and clean your own House of Bush - a most vile, deceitful and evil a regime as any you may find in a muslim nation.

[vincan-2009]

Until cheney is removed from office he is a loaded bomb. The Iraq War was his plan and he is going to stick with it forever. Americans are more endangered by our leaders than we are from anyone else. Bush/Cheney are getting away with having their Iran propaganda announced on the nightly news as fact when everyone should question anything and everything they say about Iraq or Iran. How long will it take to realize they have lied and will continue to lie? I don't believe they have a true regard for this country or the world. Cheney will go done fighting but we don't have to let him take our country with him. Be Smarter this time.

[vincan-2009]

Until cheney is removed from office he is a loaded bomb. The Iraq War was his plan and he is going to stick with it forever. Americans are more endangered by our leaders than we are from anyone else. Bush/Cheney are getting away with having their Iran propaganda announced on the nightly news as fact when everyone should question anything and everything they say about Iraq or Iran. How long will it take to realize they have lied and will continue to lie? I don't believe they have a true regard for this country or the world. Cheney will go done fighting but we don't have to let him take our country with him. Be Smarter this time.

[gkc99]

Maybe the Aussies can take Cheney out trolling for croc-oh-dials with that pissant little 28 gauge he shot his Texas lawyer pal with . . .

[rheola-2009]

Curiously it has not reached at least CBS, but there were violent protests against that murderous Cheney in Sydney last night Aust EST, WITH MORE EXPECTED TODAY, CONTINUING UNTIL HE GETS OUT OF aUSTRALIA SUNDAY.

[abbe7]

"Cheney Slams Iraq Plan Advocated by Dems" ...
and this coming from somebody who outed a CIA front
company ...
Time to get rid of this felon.

[long_rider]

The writing is on the wall. Is anyone listening?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022107R.shtml

"The U.S. won't backdown"

[long_rider]

at our Reps. in Washington are sticking it to us again. I wander if anyone reads any of the legislation that is being proposed? This bit of legislation is a knife at every Americas throat.

Of course the American news media has not said one word about it.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022107C.shtml

You have got to love this system, a liar runs this country, and undoes 200 yrs. of constitutional law, and the American sheep keep grazing.

We get what we deserve.

[lars008-2009]

RIDICULOUSLY BACKWARD BARBARIC SCUM!!!
HOW MUSLIMS TREAT MODERATES
http://masada2000.org/kill-collaborator.mpeg

RUSSIAN PRISONER OF WAR
http://www.dafka.org/ContentFiles/videos/m-mpg.asx

HOW MUSLIMS TREAT RUSSIAN CIVILIANS
http://masada2000.org/Execution%20-Russian.asf

HOW MUSLIMS TREAT ORIENTALS
http://masada2000.org/shosei-koda-beheading-video.wmv

HOW MUSLIMS TREAT EUROPEANS
http://www.abrahamic-faith.com/audio/eugene-armstrong-beheading-video.wmv

HOW MUSLIMS TREAT YOUNG GIRLS
Search Three Indonesian Girls Beheaded
http://www.ogrish.com/archives/three_indonesian_girls_beheaded_images_Oct_30_200 5.html

How Muslims Treat Farm Animals
http://muzzybeastiality.org
http://masada2000.org/impalement.asx
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.241172591&par=0
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Gallery/8.htm

Iran to Stone 13 Year Old Incest Victim
http://talkleft.com/new_archives/008354.html
http://www.wfafi.org/wfafistatement12.htm
http://www.zhilaa.com/english.htm
VIDEO!!!!
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/media/stoning.htm
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/

[lars008-2009]

I was talking today to a woman from Bosnia, she so many horrific inhuman things were dont by the Muslims to her people. She would only tell me a couple of what she thought was the least of the horrific things that were done... she said that the Muslims would take the pregnant women and asked them if they wanted to know what the *** of their baby is and even if the woman said NO, they would then proceed to cut the baby out of the womb then hold the baby up and tell the dying woman the *** of her baby... and to the men they would put him over a very sharp pointed stake, and eventually he wouldn't be able to hold his weight up and he would fall and impale himself through the bowels and die a horrific death...
These people say that Allah is all merciful, Allah will let people submit and live, but if they dont submit they die, simple...so we either submit or we die,, just as the quran says, and our leaders seem hell bent in putting us in more and more danger, they have allowed the enemy to not only get behind enemy lines but to multiply like flies... They have to deal with the fast growing ever increasing Muslim problem at home and in every country that they have adopted...all other religions come and live happily all except Islam,,
Posted by Gaye5 at 02:41 AM : Feb 22, 2007

[lars008-2009]

let the riots begin......

The float carried two identical cartoon-style papier-mache figures, each wearing a suicide-bomber's belt and carrying a dagger and a pistol. The first was labelled 'the cliche,' the second was labelled 'the reality.'

Both scowling figures were labelled 'mullahs,' a term used to describe both Shiite and Sunni clergy. The float was part of a carnival parade watched by more than half a million people in the western city of Dusseldorf.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24507_German_Muslims_Seething_at_Carnival_Parade&only
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1265687.php/Carnival_attracts_3_million_in_Germany_-_Muslims_offended__Roundup_

[mikekleber]

I find Cheney absolutely repulsive. He and his comments about having "the stomach for war" are a complete insult for all of our soldiers who have fought and died in wars for our country. When I look at Cheney, his huge pendulous gut is an obvious sign that he has the stomach for food, (I don't think he has missed any meals lately), but being the spineless coward he is, found many ways to duck the military. When he talks about war, he tries to glorify it. My father served in combat for 22 straight months in Korea. When I was growing up, I always asked him, "Dad, why don't you ever talk about war, like other guys?" I will always remember his response. He said, "son, men who fought in heavy combat rarely talk about war." Through the years, I came to realize he was absolutely correct. Cowards like Cheney have no business sending men to war unless they themselves have experienced war. Some day, I firmly believe that Bush, Rice, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.. will have to explain many issues. To them I say, "Good luck in hell. Say hello to Hitler, Dahmer, Hussein, Manson, McVeigh, etc.... when you see them."

[imprisonbush]

As one amazing federal prosecutor just said: "Madness, madness." *** Cheney is a deeply disturbed power-drunk fool.

[scott4261]

...The Democrats and Republican's have always had their differences but what these Southern Fascist present to them isn't differences. It's your With me or Against Me politics. When you look back through our history at all that has been done BECAUSE neither side believed that, the decision is an obvious one.
Posted by skyk at 05:55 PM

--------

You are right. And may I just add more thoughts to that:

Many have the mistaken notion that the South is populated with a majority of rednecks who hate g a y s and abortion. That they all have guns in their trucks and that they all vote Republican. And they are all supporting the war in Iraq. The huge mistake we Democrats in the South have made all these years is to allow conservatives to take over our party with this flag-waving divisive nonsense.

I live in Arkansas, a state that is actually more "purple" than "blue" or "red." Just look at our congressional delegation. My point is those on the right and on FOX news (and even CNN and MSNBC sometimes) try to make this about US and THEM. What they fail to realize is that there IS ONLY US! One country!

[scott4261]

think that what they and other honest republicans should do is to take their party back from these extremists before their party is dragged down with them. In the 60's the democratic party came to the conclusion that racists were eating our party up from the inside out. We changed, through no small sacrifice as we lost the entire old South, but it was still the right thing to do. Yes we still have some extremist liberals in the party (like yours truly sometimes), but all in all our party is better off. The republicans need to slice the cancer of neoconservatives like Cheney and his ilk and the extreme religious right wing bigots (Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, etc) out of their party. It will hurt, but your party will be better off for America in the long run.
Posted by RandalDS at 03:15 PM

------

AMEN!!! 100% spot-on Randal. Republicans, are you listening?

[scott4261]

(1 of 3)

This man has been behind the worst assault on the U.S. Constitution [certainly] in modern history, and maybe even the entire history of the United States of America. By the USAPATRIOT Act alone, your 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th amendment rights are compromised or denied.

With that in mind, here are our rights. Learn them while we still have them:

-----------------
These are the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, ratified by 3/4ths of the states on December 15th, 1791:

1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

2. A well regulated Militia, being necessary for the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

3. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in the time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

[lucasnico]

some people really have an appropriate first name.

[scott4261]

(2 of 3)

4. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

5. No person shall be held to answer for capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

[scott4261]

(3 of 3)

6. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trail, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of counsel for his defence.

7. In suits of common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of a trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of common law.

8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9. The enumeration of the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

[moxford0]

I agree Cheney should be jailed for his war crimes. The Abu Ghraid prison would be a great place for Mr. Cheney. Perhaps he could be placed on a pedestal naked with electrodes attached to his body and surrounded by dogs. Who knows, he might look great in a bra. He could certainly fill one out.