The head of America’s main intelligence agency, the Central Intelligency Agency [C.I.A.], Leon Panetta told The New Yorker in a yet unpublished interview that former Vice-President Dick Cheney has his fingers crossed hoping for another terrorist attack on American soil.

Cheney had been making the television rounds arguing that the Obama White House is undermining America’s security by undoing the very measures, Cheney argues, that have kept the nation safe since September 11th, 2001. Those measures that Cheney defends includes water boarding of detainees which the Army manual defines as “torture.” Cheney argues that such practices resulted in the materialization of valuable information, the White Houses disputes this. Memos from the water boarding remain classified.

Because of Cheney’s harsh words on the conduct of the Obama administration, Panetta’s point is that Cheney would welcome another terrorist attack just to “prove” his point that by ending so-called intense interrogation Obama has indeed left the country vulnerable.

“It’s almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it’s almost as if he’s wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that’s dangerous politics,” Panetta.

Upon hearing the remarks, Cheney stated that he hopes his “old friend” was misquoted. Or else what?

A spokesman for Penatte said that the C.I.A. head was only trying to make it clear that he disagrees with Cheney and that he never stated that Cheney wanted a terrorist attack. The spokesman emphasized that Panetta used the word “almost” thus it was a conditional critique.