AP Reports Cheney 'Loved Country,' Omits 'Loved War'
The AP's tribute to Dick Cheney praises his 'courage, honor, and kindness,' conveniently glossing over the millions of lives upended by his policies. As Vice President, Cheney was the architect of a war in Iraq based on WMD claims later proven false, leading to over 200,000 direct civilian deaths (Iraq Body Count) and destabilizing the entire region for decades. The piece notes his defense of
'extraordinary tools of surveillance, detention and inquisition' – polite terms for policies like warrantless wiretapping and torture. This 'noble giant' characterization conveniently ignores the actual giants of suffering his actions created. One might wonder how many families 'loved and were loved' by his administration's foreign policy? The AP's narrative recasts a figure responsible for
immense carnage as a simple patriotic leader because, apparently, some 'love of country' costs other countries everything.