The late US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as one of the most significant holders of that position in American history. While countless second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the dynamic was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always addressing him in public as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, making him become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Policies
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith back then and I maintain that stance now."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had composed a memorandum setting out circumstances in which national priorities might be threatened (including "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be prepared to act independently when collective action cannot be orchestrated," particularly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's face that everyone had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind striking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of simulated drowning and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and create initiatives to apprehend the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed labels assigned to him by critics such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the sinister strategist in the shadows that nobody ever sees emerge from his hole? It's a nice way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him through his period as vice-president. Although he had limited background in business but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US agreements worth substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the company grew from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
