Liz Cheney: Europe’s Migrant Crisis ‘Direct Consequence of Obama’s’ Foreign Policy

WALLACE:  "-- Things like that.  Some of that also happened in the Obama administration, as well.  Let’s talk — let’s move to Iraq and the rise of ISIS.  Liz, you blame President Obama for pulling all U.S. troops out of Iraq in 2011, but the fact is the original status of forces agreement that called for the withdrawal of all troops was negotiated by President Bush and critics would argue that the rise of al Qaeda and other terrorists in Iraq started after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the Bush/Cheney administration."  
L. CHENEY: "Well, the reality is that there was always an intention that there would be stay behind forces and that once the combat operations were over, there would be an agreement and another sofa agreement negotiated to allow forces to stay behind.  That is what the Obama administration refused to do.  Eventually ending up with agreeing to such a small number of U.S. Forces that it would not have been effective in terms of providing security in Iraq.  The other thing that is indisputable, is that when Barack Obama took the Oath of Office in January 20th, 2009, the situation in Iraq because of the surge ordered under the Bush Cheney administration was stable.  Al Qaeda and Iraq had been defeated.  The Shia militias had largely been defeated.  Even President Obama and Vice President Biden claim that Iraq was a success at that point. What you see now, and I would say, not just in Iraq, but what you see in terms of the refugee crisis, all across Europe today is a tragedy there, is a direct consequence of Barack Obama’s Middle East policies.  A direct consequence of walking away from the Middle East and creating chaos, creating a vacuum that ISIS, that Iran that America’s enemies are now feeling." 
WALLACE: "Let me pick up, because this is obviously a huge story right now, Mr. Vice president.  The migrant crisis.  
D. CHENEY: "Right."  
WALLACE: "Do you hold the President Obama and his policies responsible for what’s happening across Europe now?" 
D. CHENEY: "I think what’s happened is, he’s created a huge vacuum.  He’s made it very clear, he’s not going to use military force to any extent.  The vacuum that was created once the caliphate was formed and so forth, and enormous violence that’s gone forward in Syria has contributed directly to the refugee crisis.  I think when the U.S. played a major role in the region when we were there on a significant basis, it would have been much easier to manage this kind of situation.  Today what you have is a crisis of major proportions in Syria supported primarily by the Iranians and that’s driven hundreds of thousands of people to look for refuge someplace else.  They’ve all headed for Europe.  And it’s a terrible tragedy."