Iraqi war debate gets nasty
2005-11-17 10:15
Washington - United States vice-president Richard Cheney heightened the White House campaign against Democrats on Wednesday, calling their accusations that the administration misled the country into the Iraq war "reprehensible" and "pernicious."
The comments, made during a Washington speech, followed at least two broadsides against Democrats by President George W Bush since Friday. Cheney, who is considered one of the architects of the 2003 invasion, was far more outspoken, however.
Cheney said Washington was witnessing what he called "a wild departure" from the tradition of truth and good faith in conducting national debate.
"And the suggestion that's been made by some US senators that the president of the United States or any member of this administration purposely misled the American people on pre-war intelligence is one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city," he told the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, a conservative think tank.
Charges that the government of Saddam Hussein had secret arsenals of weapons of mass destruction were used by the Bush administration as its chief rationale for launching the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
No such weapons were found after the invasion, which has given rise to allegations the administration may have manipulated intelligence in building their case for the war.
Bush's popularity has also been badly hit by the US struggle in Iraq since the invasion.
Cheney said members of Congress had access to the same intelligence as the administration before voting to authorise the war in 2002 - and had arrived at the same conclusion about the nature of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein.
"The saddest part is that our people in uniform have been subjected to these cynical and pernicious falsehoods day in and day out."
Senator John Kerry, Bush's defeated Democratic rival in the last presidential election, shot back, saying that it is hard to name a government official "with less credibility on Iraq than vice-president Cheney."
While it seems like another Washington war of words, the White House campaign is crucial to rescue the Bush presidency, said a respected administration insider.
"If the American people really come to a settled belief that Bush lied us into war, his presidency will be over," said Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard.
The Bush administration was dealt a setback on Tuesday when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate supported a measure which would require the president to make regular progress reports on the war.