The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful occupants of the vice-presidency in US history. While many vice-presidents were confined to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney held enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and stated the relationship was more complex. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the correct action to do back then. I had faith at the time and I believe it now."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a memorandum setting out scenarios in which national priorities might be compromised (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his parent's visage that each person had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were whether weak or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the torture, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by critics such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees emerge from his hole? It's a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as VP. Although he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the White House. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the company grew from his previous salary when he was military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty
