The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as one of the most influential incumbents of the vice-presidency in US history. While numerous VPs had to settle for marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney held huge power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly described as the "true president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their relationship as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a faction of neo-cons that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for 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 gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Policies
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the enhanced interrogation of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I had faith then and I hold that view now."
But during that period, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had composed a document detailing scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency somewhat determined on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his father's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were both weak or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place initiatives to capture the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the pair, 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 shadows that remains unseen come out of his hole? That is a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had minimal expertise in business but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his period at the company increased from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling more than $20m|twenty
