NEW ORLEANS – Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a strong defense of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq on Thursday, repeating his assertion of ties between Saddam Hussein (search) and Al Qaeda (search) and warning that the war on terror will continue into the forseeable future.
"We are engaged in a broader struggle - a global war that will last many years and require our most focused and steadfast efforts," Cheney told a crowd of fellow Republicans gathered at the D-Day (search) Museum.
The half-hour speech celebrated Bush administration policy, the recent handover of power to an Iraqi government, and Saddam's being brought before Iraqi authorities; but it was also full of warnings about continued threats.
"The terrorists continue plotting to kill on an even larger scale, including here in the United States."
He added later: "That is why we are taking the war directly to the enemy - engaging them abroad."
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