The late US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. While countless second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were equals. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, causing him to be focused on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Policies
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It was the right thing to do at that time. I believed it back then and I believe it now."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he later wrote "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had written a memo outlining situations in which American interests might be endangered (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House generally inclined on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's face that everyone had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed labels imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the evil genius in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? This represents a nice way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had little experience in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling multiple billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his period at the firm rose from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at more than $20m|twenty
