The Saddam Tapes - VP Cheney now argues Iraq Is not part of War on Terror

Just in case you've been living in a cave, I'll remind you that the CIA destroyed video tapes of the interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Well, I have been told, by a government source I trust, that similar tapes of interrogations of Iraq War detainees have been in the hands of: the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, the Army Office of the Inspector General (as a result of Abu Ghraib investigations), and most importantly, the Office of the Vice President and the White House. Journalist Seymour Hersh has, in the past, reported the existence of some of these tapes.

However, the big news is that the Office of the Vice President and the White House also had possession of some VERY INTERESTING tapes of the interrogation of Saddam Hussein. The mental image of Dick Cheney and Dubya eating popcorn, laughing, and playing with Saddam's pistol, while sitting in the White House theater watching the tapes, is something I can't get out of my mind. Is this what America is about?

Related to that and the other tapes from Iraq is the reported other-worldliness of internal government discussion (both in the Executive Branch and in the Senate Intelligence Committee) on whether or not these tapes are subject to the order of Judge Brinkema to produce videotapes of government interrogations of Al Qaeda terrorism suspects.

The Office of the Vice President has explicitly and specifically argued over and over again that Iraq is part of the War on Terror. Well, in more proof of VP Dick Cheney's residence in Bizarro World, comes news that his office has been arguing that any tapes from detainees captured in Iraq are not subject to Judge Brinkema's order...

..why?

Well, of course, because "the War in Iraq is not part of War on Terror operations against Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda Iraq is not proven to be a part of its namesake parent organization Al Qaeda." That's right friends, after nearly six years of telling us that operations against Iraq are part of the War on Terror, the VP is arguing internally that they legally are not part of that war.

Gerald Ford was right, Cheney has lost his mind with paranoia over terrorism. I'm willing to bet that Cheney personally approved Jose Rodriguez's decision to destroy the CIA videotapes after White House Counsel Harriet Miers apparently told the CIA not to destroy them. That would allow the White House to plausibly avoid direct responsibility and still ensure the disappearance of the tapes. At the very least, given Cheney's past refusal to cooperate with Judicial Branch orders, it would keep any inquiry from reaching a conclusion before Bush/Cheney Co. leave office.

Note to Judges Brinkema & Kennedy: you need to explicitly add videotapes of interrogations of terrorism suspects detained in Iraq and interrogated by the CIA, DIA, US Military, and/or US contractors (my reports are that Blackwater, and other contractors have participated in some of these interrogations - however Blackwater may have passed its responsibility for such operations to its new intelligence subsidiary Total Intelligence Solutions. The same sources say that part of the inspiration for setting up the new subsidiary was to legally shield Blackwater's principles and huge earnings from direct liability for such actions) to your order.

Welcome to the newspeak of 1984, where war is peace.