By Alexander Mooney
In his first statement since the December 25 terror attempt on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, Michigan, Cheney hit Obama for what he described as the president's "low-key" response to the events last week and criticized the administration's broader approach to national security.
"He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won't be at war," Cheney said. "He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of 9/11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won't be at war. He seems to think if he closes Guantanamo and releases the hard-core al Qaeda-trained terrorists still there, we won't be at war."
Nigerian suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, 23, is accused of trying to blow up the Northwest Airlines plane with explosives that had been concealed in his underwear. He is charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft.
The militant group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the plot.
Cheney said Obama outwardly "pretends we aren't [at war]," and the former vice president repeated his months-long criticism that the new president has made America "less safe."
"Why doesn't he want to admit we're at war?" Cheney asked. "It doesn't fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn't fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency: social transformation, the restructuring of American society."
Obama has referred to both conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq as wars, though his administration has been reluctant to use the phrase "war on terror," which was widely used during the Bush presidency.
Cheney's comments are the latest criticisms of the new administration over the course of the past year, in which he has declared that Obama has put the country's security at an elevated level of risk as a result of a string of national security decisions that largely were at odds with Bush administration practices.
Cheney's past comments have been met with criticism from many Democrats and some members of the media, who say he would be better off following the example set by former President George W. Bush, who has remained largely silent on the actions of his successor.
However, the former vice president's forceful critique of Obama has received praise from conservative corners, leading the conservative publication Human Events to award him the title of "Conservative of the Year."
Cheney's statements also echo those of several congressional Republicans who have criticized the president's response to the terrorist attempt over the past several days and the fact that he waited until four days after the incident to speak publicly about it.
Democrats note that Bush was not subjected to criticisms from either Democrats or the media when he waited six days to respond to Richard Reid's attempted shoe-bombing of an airplane on December 22, 2001. Like Obama, Bush was also on vacation when that botched terrorist attack occurred.
GOP members of Congress have also sharply questioned how the suspected terrorist could fly in the first place after his own father had warned U.S. intelligence authorities that his son was possibly under the influence of religious extremists.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the White House isn't sharing information. He posted a message on Twitter accusing the administration of "stonewalling."
Hoekstra also sent a fundraising e-mail to supporters Tuesday derailing "week-kneed liberals," a solicitation the Democratic National Committee later called "shameful."
Meanwhile, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, whom Democrats blame for holding up the confirmation of Obama's nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration, said the new administration has "downplayed terrorism."
"The president has downplayed terrorism since he took office," the Republican told CBS on Wednesday. "He doesn't use the word anymore."
