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[theignoramus]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/09/05/2010-09-05_tony_blair_on_dick_cheney_he_wanted_to_remake_middle_east_after_911_invade_iraq_.html

Dick Cheney wanted to invade several Middle East nations, not just Iraq, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair reveals in his new book.

Blair writes that the former Vice President had a goal to remake the power structure of several countries in that part of the world.

Cheney "would have worked through the whole lot, Iraq, Syria, Iran, dealing with all their surrogates in the course of it -- Hezbollah, Hamas, etc.," Blair wrote in his memoir, "A Journey."

The former PM told Christiane Amanpour on ABC's "This Week" that Cheney, 69, believed "the world had to be remade after September the 11th."

"Dick was always absolutely hard-line on these things," Blair said. "I mean, I think he would openly avow this."

In his book, Blair writes Cheney wanted to deliver a message to nations he felt were supporting terrorists and terror organizations.

"He was for hard, hard power," he wrote. "No ifs, no buts, no maybes. We're coming after you so change or be changed."

Blair didn't exactly agree with this position, but told Amanpour that there was some merit to it.

"You can't dismiss that Cheney view and say, well, that's just stupid," he said.

Can anyone even conceive where a massive assault on Syria, Iraq, AND Iran would take the Middle East?
What it would do for the Muslim jihadi movement?

Fucking psychotic, man.:lol :lol

 

[Mama Robotnik]

America, how did this man get to be one pretzel away from being your Commander in Chief?

 

[blame space]

I wonder what dick Cheney is like behind closed doors. I think he's like The Penguin from Batman Returns.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

holy war indeed

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

 

[Trurl]

I'm not sure if I'm more amazed by the implied lack of concern for human life, or by the arrogance it takes to think America could succeed with a plan like that.

 

[scorcho]

"You can't dismiss that Cheney view and say, well, that's just stupid," he said.

yes, you fucking can.

 

[StoOgE]

Sounds like Tony Blair is trying to remake his image with a bit of a "see, I wasn't their lap dog. I only went along with two of their wars. I put my foot down on number 3, 4 and 5!"

 

[WillyFive]

Cheney would have been an evil warlord if he was allowed to.

 

[blame space]

I'm not sure if I'm more amazed by the implied lack of concern for human life, or by the arrogance it takes to think America could succeed with a plan like that.

our military is baller as fuck man I hope you aren't sayin we got a small dick

 

[Mr. Sam]

The world is run by psychotics.

 

[Stinkles]

It would be one thing if Cheney had any diplomatic, strategic or intellectual abilities beyond the naked thirst for power, but he never demonstrated any. He was a failure in every way you can measure failure on the job. And a thoroughly dislikable prick. People who like Cheney in my experience, are evil hearted weirdoes who moved on to the tea party when he rode off into the sunset.

 

[Blackace]

How much Cheney reminds me of Goering from WWII is remarkable..

 

[CJUNDERGROUND]

I wonder how Limbaugh will spin this one. Damn Republicans.

 

[I <3 Memes]

What a maniac.

And for all the shit we get for electing Bush/Cheney, let me return the favor by saying thanks a lot for putting pussy ass pushover of a coward like Blair in power.

Hey Tony Blair how does Bush's dick taste?

 

[Plinko]

I'm curious--is Bush the one who ultimately stopped Cheney from implementing this plan? If so, in a backwards way, W could have been the guy who actually saved America.

Seriously, though, Cheney is insane. The plan is absolutely insane. That would have done damage to our worldwide appeal that could never be undone.

 

[giga]

Blair didn't exactly agree with this position, but told Amanpour that there was some merit to it.

No, not one ounce of merit.

 

[Trurl]

our military is baller as fuck man I hope you aren't sayin we got a small dick

I'm starting to wonder if you had a stroke recently.

 

[Masta_Killah]

yes, you fucking can.

Americans would say that today, but if Bush/Cheney had pushed for this right after 9/11, I'm pretty sure Americans would go for it. Just look at how the administration was able to get us into Iraq.

 

[Blackace]

What a maniac.

And for all the shit we get for electing Bush/Cheney, let me return the favor by saying thanks a lot for putting pussy ass pushover of a coward like Blair in power.

Hey Tony Blair how does Bush's dick taste?

Push over? lawl

Blair played Bush like a fiddle..

For every 100 bad things said about the US 1 or 2 get said about Blair.. Seems like people forgot that the war would never have happened without his "intel"

 

[Tarazet]

The world is run by psychotics.

You didn't think so already?

 

[Masta_Killah]

I'm curious--is Bush the one who ultimately stopped Cheney from implementing this plan? If so, in a backwards way, W could have been the guy who actually saved America.

Seriously, though, Cheney is insane. The plan is absolutely insane. That would have done damage to our worldwide appeal that could never be undone.

From what I've read, it was Condoleezza Rice that got Bush to distance himself from Cheney.

Also-

 

[lightless_shado]

Dude sounds like a total dick.

 

[scotcheggz]

One day Blair will die.

On this day, I will have a party, you're all invited.

 

[j_k_redtail]

I'm not sure if I'm more amazed by the implied lack of concern for human life, or by the arrogance it takes to think America could succeed with a plan like that.

This and,

What it would do for the Muslim jihadi movement?

This. Can you imagine what the world would be like today if we actually went to war with the Muslim world? Pulling NATO into a large-scale land war in the middle east? Forcing Jihadist uprisings in Central Asia, dragging Russia into this mess? Creating an alliance that spans the Islamic world, which, lest we forget, has over one billion people? And then there's the Pakistan-India issue: two nuclear powers.

You want World War III, a clash of civilizations, a holy war, you've got it. Millions of people dead across three continents. You know who would be the big winner? China, probably.

 

[dabig2]

I wonder how Limbaugh will spin this one. Damn Republicans.

But he just wanted to kill teh terrurists! He was a patriot and a visionary!

 

[theignoramus]

our military is baller as fuck man I hope you aren't sayin we got a small dick

Iraq and Syria? I'll give you that. But Iran? Its a large, mountainous country with 70 million people. It would be like Vietnam, probably bloodier, since Iran is larger with more treacherous terrain.
And then you'd have suppress the insurgencies....in each country.

 

[Kentpaul]

ww3 for sure if that shit happend, i'm usally down with america but if it started being a bully i'd be down with the ak

 

[S1lent]

yes, you fucking can.

.

 

[theignoramus]

I'm curious--is Bush the one who ultimately stopped Cheney from implementing this plan? If so, in a backwards way, W could have been the guy who actually saved America.

Seriously, though, Cheney is insane. The plan is absolutely insane. That would have done damage to our worldwide appeal that could never be undone.

We have good evidence that it was George W that gave the thumbs down to Cheney and the neocons when they wanted to bomb Iran in 06/07.

 

[Masta_Killah]

Iraq and Syria? I'll give you that. But Iran? Its a large, mountainous country with 70 million people. It would be like Vietnam, probably bloodier, since Iran is larger with more treacherous terrain.
And then you'd have suppress the insurgencies....in each country.

If the US wasn't so concerned about its image to the world, Iran would be gone in a second.

 

[Escape Goat]

man attempting to sell book makes outrageous but believable accusations

 

[A Human Becoming]

Push over? lawl

Blair played Bush like a fiddle..

For every 100 bad things said about the US 1 or 2 get said about Blair.. Seems like people forgot that the war would never have happened without his "intel"

The British Government had admitted the findings of the intel were exaggerated. Something I'm sure the US government was aware of.

Wasn't Cheney one of the few VPs not to run for president? Thank god.

 

[Blackace]

ww3 for sure if that shit happend, i'm usally down with america but if it started being a bully i'd be down with the ak

and now I see you in a video with Michel'le. Looking like straight bozos, I saw it coming that's why I went solo...

 

[FunkyMunkey]

America, how did this man get to be one pretzel away from being your Commander in Chief?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUPMjC9mq5Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKKKgua7wQk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht8PmEjxUfg

You can thank a majority of those people, and the people who think as they do and lack any thread of common sense. DERRRRR IM A PROUD AMURICAN VOTER DERP, WAIT WAT AM I VOTING FOR AGAIN?

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Cheney was borderline

certain people should not be close to any kind of power

 

[Kentpaul]

and now I see you in a video with Michel'le. Looking like straight bozos, I saw it coming that's why I went solo...

trust you to catch onto my ice cube refrence i used outta no were :lol

 

[UrokeJoe]

The world is run by psychotics.

Feeling this way. I keep waiting for someone of conscience too step up, better yet a army of them.

 

[Kunan]

Sounds like Tony Blair is trying to remake his image with a bit of a "see, I wasn't their lap dog. I only went along with two of their wars. I put my foot down on number 3, 4 and 5!"

You should see British News. I was over there for a few weeks and it was all "American Policies killed xxx british soldiers today. Now onto the top 20 things we hate about how aggressive the US is..blah blah pretend we never went to war, we can join the anti-US clique too I swear! Let us sit at your lunch table Europe "

But even though Blair is generally a lying prick, I half believe him because Cheney is terrifying.

 

[SolarPowered]

We sure live in delicate times...

 

[theignoramus]

If the US wasn't so concerned about its image to the world, Iran would be gone in a second.

I agree that the country could be conventionally bombed into the third world in a few weeks, but the consequences of doing that would be terror attacks against US interests, a flood of weapons sent to the Taliban, missile attacks on US troops in Iraq and a probable war between Israel, Syria, and the Hezbollah. In other words, it could blow up the Middle East.

 

[Loki]

I thought this was common knowledge since it's in keeping with PNAC (Project for a New American Century iirc), which was the guiding philosophy of conservatives at that time.

 

[xbhaskarx]

What it would do for the Muslim jihadi movement?

How much more would pissed off could jihadis be if the US had invaded Syria in addition to Iraq and Afghanistan? Jihadi: "Well I was okay with them invading Iraq and Afghanistan, but Syria, that's going TOO FAR."

Or would they be more pissed off because of Iran, even though the people there are Shia and most jihadi groups don't consider them to be true Muslims, and even commit terrorist acts against them on a regular basis in countries like Iraq and Pakistan?

 

[UrokeJoe]

I agree that the country could be conventionally bombed into the third world in a few weeks, but the consequences of doing that would be terror attacks against US interests, a flood of weapons sent to the Taliban, missile attacks on US troops in Iraq and a probable war between Israel, Syria, and the Hezbollah. In other words, it could blow up the Middle East.

Well that's just a surface issue. The stuff we need is deeper than that.

/sarcasm

 

[loosus]

Hate to say it, but Bush might've actually been somewhat of a balancing force.

I know this is not going to be a popular belief, but personally, the more I hear about the past administration, the less I hate Bush but the more I hate Cheney. Yes, I'm aware that the buck stops with the President, but I just don't see Bush as pure evil -- more like incompetent.

 

[theignoramus]

How much more would pissed off could jihadis be if the US had invaded Syria in addition to Iraq and Afghanistan? Jihadi: "Well I was okay with them invading Iraq and Afghanistan, but Syria, that's going TOO FAR."

Or would they be more pissed off because of Iran, even though the people there are Shia and most jihadi groups don't consider them to be true Muslims, and even commit terrorist acts against them on a regular basis in countries like Iraq and Pakistan?

Muslim jihadi movements thrive in violent conflict zones. This is true of the wars in Lebanon, the Chechen wars, the Bosnian conflict, and the Iraq war. The assertion is fully backed by scholarship and American intelligence agencies. If you cant see how a violent assault, and occupation of three Muslim countries would be an even greater shot in the arm for the extremist movement, you don't understand trivialities.

 

[j_k_redtail]

How much more would pissed off could jihadis be if the US had invaded Syria in addition to Iraq and Afghanistan? Jihadi: "Well I was okay with them invading Iraq and Afghanistan, but Syria, that's going TOO FAR."

Or would they be more pissed off because of Iran, even though the people there are Shia and most jihadi groups don't consider them to be true Muslims, and even commit terrorist acts against them on a regular basis in countries like Iraq and Pakistan?

So no, your hard-core, fundamentalist Jihadi probably won't be any more outraged by a Syrian invasion than he would be by an Iraqi one. But how about your impressionable Syrian teenager, who hated us from afar until we showed up, and probably doesn't believe us when we say "we're at war with your government, not with the people?"

There's a long a long-running cliche in storytelling: otherwise normal people become violent under certain circumstances. Because if you invade Syria (snip) a Syrian simply has to mad at us for invading his country in order to turn against us. And then we're fighting a Syrian insurgency in addition to an Afghan Taliban and the Iraqi insurgency, all of which are likely some combination of religious fundamentalists and angry locals. Not to mention the fact that terrorist organizations love it when you knock out the government.

Edited to remove excess.

 

[Xeke]

We have good evidence that it was George W that gave the thumbs down to Cheney and the neocons when they wanted to bomb Iran in 06/07.

I don't think Bush was evil or really a bad guy.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

We sure live in delicate times...

He who controls the oil controls the universe.

 

[Sol..]

Hate to say it, but Bush might've actually been somewhat of a balancing force.

I know this is not going to be a popular belief, but personally, the more I hear about the past administration, the less I hate Bush but the more I hate Cheney. Yes, I'm aware that the buck stops with the President, but I just don't see Bush as pure evil -- more like incompetent.

I don't think you are reaching as much as you think you are. That would probably be the image of that relationship in any given Bush Administration satire.