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US Vice President Dick Cheney is interviewed for ABC World News Tonight on March
24, 2008 inside the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked what
effect the grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths in the five-year Iraq war might
have on the nation.
Noting the burden placed on military families, the vice president said the biggest
burden is carried by President George W. Bush, who made the decision to commit US
troops to war, and reminded the public that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
volunteered for duty.
"I want to start with the milestone today of 4,000 dead in Iraq. Americans. And just
what effect do you think it has on the country?" asked ABC News' White House
correspondent, Martha Raddatz, who traveled with the vice president on a nine-day
overseas trip to Iraq and other countries in the Middle East.
"It obviously brings home I think for a lot of people the cost that's involved in the
global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan," Cheney said in the interview,
conducted in Turkey. "It places a special burden obviously on the families, and we
recognize, I think µ it's a reminder of the extent to which we are blessed with families
who've sacrificed as they have."
Cheney: 'The All-Volunteer Force'
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"The president carries the biggest burden, obviously," Cheney said. "He's the one
who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to
have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the
uniform and go in harm's way for the rest of us."
Raddatz noted that some soldiers, Air Force members, and Marines have been on
multiple deployments and have been sent back to Iraq because of the stop-loss
policy µ an involuntary extension of a service member's enlistment contract. The
Army alone says 58,000 US soldiers have been redeployed to war because of the
stop-loss policy.
"When you talk about an all-volunteer force, some of these soldiers, airmen, Marines
have been on two, three, four, some of them more than that, deployments," Raddatz
said. "Do you think when they volunteered they had any idea that there would be so
many deployments or stop-loss? Some of those who want to get out can't because of
stop-loss?"
"A lot of men and women sign up because sometimes they will see developments,"
Cheney said. "For example, 9/11 stimulated a lot of folks to volunteer for the military
because they wanted to be involved in defending the country."
Referring to his talks with US service members in Iraq, the vice president said the
men and women he speaks to are committed to the war.
"The thing that comes through loud and clear is how much they are committed to the
cause, to doing what needs to be done to defend the nation," Cheney said.
When asked about the toll multiple deployments have taken on U.S. military
members, Cheney fired back with a question.
"Of course it is, Martha," Cheney said. "So what would be the solution to that? I mean
how would you deal with that?"
Possible Troop Drawdown
Today the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, recommended to
Bush a "pause" in the drawdown of U.S. forces after the last surge combat brigade
leaves in July. The pause is expected to be four to eight weeks, after which another
decision will made on resuming the drawdown.
There are currently more U.S. military members in Iraq than when the United States
led the invasion of the country in March 2003.
Petraeus has spoken on the record about his desire for a pause, and Defense
Secretary Robert Gates has publicly endorsed the idea. If the security situation is
stable, Petraeus will likely signal that the drawdown can continue in the fall.
When asked about the possibility of resuming a U.S. military drawdown from Iraq in
the fall, Cheney said what's important is that the U.S. succeeds in Iraq.
"That isn't the way I think about it," Cheney said, referring to the possibility of a
drawdown. "It's important to achieve victory in Iraq. It's important to win, to succeed
in the objective that we've established."
"It may be that we can make judgements about reductions down the road and the
President will make those when the time arrives, but I don't think he's likely to try
and say now what the force ought to be at the end of the year," Cheney said.
"Conditions on the ground will determine that."
Cheney Slams Democratic Candidates
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