Thursday, January 8, 2009

Vice President Dick Cheney says it would be a big mistake for the new administration to scrap current terrorist-fighting policies designed to prevent future attacks on the U.S.

In an interview with CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, Cheney advises President-elect Barack Obama to "proceed very cautiously" before making any policy changes. He also says Obama shouldn't change policies just because he campaigned against them.

Obama has criticized practices that he says amount to torturing detainees and has promised to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Terrorist Surveillance Program was secretly authorized by President George W. Bush shortly after 9/11 and was disclosed in late 2005, sparking questions about its legality.

Cheney also denied he was pulling the strings of the Bush presidency from behind the scenes. He says "There was never any question about who was in charge. It was George Bush."