Oops. Former Vice President Dick Cheney wants a do-over. After being party to an administration that repeatedly sought to tie the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with Saddam Hussein, he’s ready to let that assertion go.
In an interview with Fox News’ Greta van Susteren Monday, Cheney said there was no evidence tying Iraq and 9/11 — and that there never was.
“On the question of whether or not Iraq was involved in 9-11, there was never any evidence to prove that,” he told the Fox host. “There was “some reporting early on … but that was never borne out… [President] George [Bush] … did say and did testify that there was an ongoing relationship between al-Qaeda and Iraq, but no proof that Iraq was involved in 9-11.”
Cheney’s comments are a marked shift from those he made in 2003. Pressed to disavow assertions that Iraq was in any way involved with the attacks, the then-VP claimed the administration was learning “more and more” about al Qaeda-Iraq ties.
Now, after 4,308 US servicemembers have lost their lives in Iraq, and no longer in office, the vociferous GOP hawk has appears to have changed his mind.