The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most influential occupants of that position in US history. While countless second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or symbolic roles, Cheney held enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and stated the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always referring to him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a group of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be intent on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view presently."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been behind a plot to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his predecessor's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous supporting invading Iraq, consistently referencing intelligence reports that were whether weak or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had resulted from the torture, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish programmes to capture the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by critics such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? That is a effective way to function, actually."
Business Interests
Debate over his business interests followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his time at the firm grew from his previous salary during his time as defence secretary to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at more than $20m|twenty
