'Cheney profited from Iraq war'

2004-09-17 17:55

Washington - John Kerry's Democratic election campaign accused vice president Dick Cheney of making money from the Iraq war through his links to the Halliburton company, in a new television advert launched on Friday.

The spot, which will be shown in states where Kerry is in the tightest race with President George W Bush, shows Cheney saying in 2003: "I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had now for over three years."

Cheney gave up his job running the Texas-based oil services and general contracting giant to join the Bush campaign in 2000.

But since saying he had no links to Halliburton, Cheney has admitted he was still receiving pension payments.

Kerry's advert goes on: "The truth: As vice president, Dick Cheney, received two million dollars from Halliburton. Halliburton got billions in no bid contracts in Iraq.

"Dick Cheney got two million dollars. What did we get? A 200 billion dollar bill for Iraq."

The Kerry campaign has launched a series of aggressive new television adverts since Bush pulled ahead in opinion poll ratings during September.

- AFP