The late US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as among the most powerful incumbents of that office in the nation's history. Whereas many second-in-commands were confined to marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney held huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the dynamic was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the destruction of any unresponsive planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, causing him to be determined on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of detainees captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced then and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "clear negligence, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a document detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of reducing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's face that each person had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, consistently referencing intelligence reports that were both thin or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had come from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to capture the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed labels imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen leave his hole? That is a nice way to operate, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his corporate affiliations followed him through his period as second-in-command. While he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his period at the company rose from his previous salary when he was military head to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
