The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered one of the most significant holders of that office in American history. Whereas countless second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably calling him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Despite such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of conservative hawks that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a session at a school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the attacks transformed him, making him become determined on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."
But during that period, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a document setting out situations in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when collective action prove impossible," particularly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his father's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were both weak or entirely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and torture.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to capture the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that operates invisibly leave his domain? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his commercial relationships followed him during his tenure as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm grew from his $258,394 while Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
