Written by David Starr   

Dick Cheney's responses to the Obama administration's Iran peace deal come as no surprise. The word "peace" is not in Cheney's vocabulary.

In one FOX "news" interview, Cheney compared Obama to Britain's prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who tried using diplomacy with Nazi Germany. This is hardly a valid accusation. Cheney further discredits himself. Iran is in no position to attack another country, much less conquer the world. True, Iran is a theocracy, where its leaders live in a distant past characterized by Islamic fundamentalism. But it doesn't have nuclear weapons, and it will remain as such since the deal obligates Iran to not acquire, or use, the materials to make a nuclear weapon. And Iran hasn't invaded a country in 500 years.

Cheney also said that "the deal would put us closer to actual use of nuclear weapons than we've been at any time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII." This is an obvious scare tactic. But who would use nuclear weapons, really, if it came down to that? With a Dick Cheney in power, it would be the United States.

In another interview, Cheney accused Iran of getting conventional weapons, and, thus, cited Iran as a threat. But the weapons are to fight against ISIS, not provoke an imperial war. ISIS is an unintentional consequence of the Iraq War. The Sunnis were forced out of power by the U.S. The Iraqi military was disbanded. That created a power vacuum which was filled by the Shiites. And that created the chances for a backlash in the form of ISIS.

Another consequence of the war is that Shiite-led Iran now has an ally in Shiite-led Iraq. Thus, the spreading of the Shiites' version of Islamic fundamentalism. An imperial war by the U.S. against Iran would fuel more chaos in the region and another backlash, whereby fundamentalism will further grow. Cheney doesn't seem to care, though.

That's because Cheney is not interested in facts. He's got war on his warped mind. His rhetoric is Orwellian. That is, Cheney's thinking is the opposite of a reality he doesn't want. And that reality is peace being a threat to his imperial ambitions.

So, Cheney belched out the same "sky is falling" propaganda against Iran as he did with Iraq. Same exact propaganda in tone: Iran will acquire nuclear weapons to harm Israel and the United States. "This deal gives Tehran the means to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. homeland." Iran's leaders are not that crazy. They know what the consequences would be. (They may find out anyway if Cheney gets his way.)

Why does Cheney want war? One reason is geopolitical. The former Halliburton honcho wants the U.S. to dominate the Middle East, where much of the oil is. Plus, Cheney has connections of course to the oil industry. Another reason is that Cheney is a war criminal. Militarism is his favorite form of "negotiations." This is characteristic of the GOP itself. For them, war is the answer, regardless of the consequences. And they'll gloss this over with a facade of righteousness.

But the deal is done. This is a major accomplishment for Obama, prioritizing peace over war. And Cheney can't stand it.

David Starr writes on various issues, both national and international