MR. DICK CHENEY..

Former Vice--President Dick Cheney slammed the Obama administration, once again, of fishing in the wrong waters. If a precedent was set for every new government to investigate the activities of a previous administration, there would not be time enough to look into other serious matters affecting the nation, particularly where national security issues were concerned.

He was commenting on the decision by the Obama government to investigate CIA operatives who, according to the Attorney General Mr. Eric Holder, have broken laws while interrogating terror suspects during the Bush administration. His intention of opening a probe into such matters was based on a 2003 Inspector General's report, which has been previously examined and dealt with in the past. There was nothing new in that report, except for President Obama to renege on a decision to declare the case closed only a few weeks ago.

"It's an outrageous political act that will do great damage, long-term, to our capacity to be able to have people take on difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, without having to worry about what the next administration is going to say", Mr. Cheney said on FOX News Sunday, yesterday morning.

He maintained that, constitutionally, the President was the chief law enforcement officer, and although Mr. Holder was the Attorney General, he could not overrule his (Obama's) decision unless he allowed him (Holder) to do so.

"I have serious doubts about his policies," Cheney continued while being interviewed by FOX News' Chris Wallace in Wyoming. "Serious doubts, especially, about the extent to which he understands and is prepared to do what needs to be done to defend the nation", Mr. Cheney further said.

The interview dealt with several issues, covering the newly formed unit that was set up to interrogate terrorists; thus shifting control of such interrogations away from the CIA and thrusting it (control) into the hands of the FBI under the supervision of the National Security Council. Who would be responsible for the HIG, as the unit would be called, with the initials standing for "High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group".

Well, every administration has the right to pursue its own policies, whatever they might be; and there should not be any qualms about President Obama doing just that. Nevertheless, precious time should not be wasted on bygone issues.

This blog, however, had dealt with the same matter before, asking, "WHO IS IN CHARGE?", as if what was highly volatile an issue as making the CIA the scapegoat of what happened in another administration should be taken lightly.

Was the decision purely a political one, and if so, should not the President seize the opportunity to straighten things out, as Mr. Cheney was suggesting, before it (matter) went too far?