Acres Quote by Dick Cheney
“It's very important to go back and keep in mind the distinction between handling these events as criminal acts, which was the way we did before 9/11, and then looking at 9/11 and saying, 'This is not a criminal act,' not when you destroy 16 acres of Manhattan, kill 3,000 Americans, blow a big hole in the Pentagon. That's an act of war.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Congressional testimony, 2002
Distinguishes criminal acts from acts of war, emphasizing that large-scale attacks like 9/11 are wartime actions, not ordinary crimes.
In simple terms: War acts differ from crimes.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the legal and moral shift in large‑scale attacks.
Themes
law
ethics
security
policy
war
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- National security planning
- policy drafting
- public statements
- legal analysis
Key Concepts
International law
just war theory
terrorism response
Questions to Reflect On
- How should societies balance civil liberties with wartime security?
- What legal frameworks best address large‑scale attacks?
A Different Perspective
Classifying events as war can limit domestic criminal prosecution options.
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