The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of that office in the nation's history. While countless vice-presidents were confined to marginal or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in public as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a school in Florida. While Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, causing him to be determined on revenge. Together with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the proper decision to do back then. I had faith then and I maintain that stance presently."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum outlining situations in which national priorities might be compromised (featuring "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey 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 father's countenance that everyone had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently referencing agency briefings that were either weak or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and torture.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had come from the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers assigned to him by detractors such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his domain? That is a nice way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US agreements worth billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company grew from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling more than $20m|twenty
