Cheney, Biden spar on Iraq, terrorism

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney says the Obama administration should thank George W. Bush for finding political solutions to the Iraq war.

"If they are going to take credit for (Iraq), fair enough, for what they've done while they are there. But it ought to go with a healthy dose of 'thank you George Bush' up front," Cheney said in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week.

Vice President Joe Biden responded on CBS's "Face the Nation" by saying the Obama administration helped secure political solutions in Iraq that were uncertain when Bush and Cheney left office in January 2008.

"What we did and we did responsibly from the day we took office was put that in motion," Biden said." "I don't care who gets credit. My generic point is we have handled this very well thus far."

Cheney and Biden also disagreed on whether another another large-scale terrorist attack, such as the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, could occur in the United States.

"The reason it's unlikely is because we have been relentless," Biden said, agreeing with Cheney that the biggest danger was from terrorists getting hold of a nuclear, radiological or biological weapon. Cheney had said it would difficult to mobilize the resources to prevent another attack if the Obama administration already deemed such an attack unlikely.