An Explanation for Why President Cheney Did Not React to the Cole Incident

When Al Qaeda struck the Cole during October 2000, President Clinton decided we should go after them by taking down the Taliban when we had any evidence it was Al Qaeda. The evidence became available to the White House after January 20, 2001. For the life of me – I never understood why Bush-Cheney waited until the fall of 2001 to go after these thugs.

It seems Lynne Cheney went on the Daily Show and offered an explanation:

Yesterday, Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Cheney, reiterated this point on The Daily Show, claiming that terrorists regularly struck between 1993 and 2001 but not since 9/11. “It’s been more than six years. And that is not an accident. … There were many attacks between 1993 and the World Trade Centers coming down in 2001,” Cheney said. Stewart rebutted Cheney’s claim by listing off the many terrorist attacks around the world since 9/11 … Cheney replied that attacks on other countries were not relevant to the discussion: “Yes, yes. But we’re talking about American interests.” The audience booed Cheney’s remarks. An incredulous Stewart responded, “Aren’t we interested in [attacks on those countries]? I’d assumed they were our allies.”

She should have been booed, but also notice how she contradicts herself. Those attacks between 1993 and 2001 were abroad. And according to Lynne Cheney, they don’t count. Memo to our allies in Britain and Spain – the wife of the Vice President thinks you don’t count either.