The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that position in US history. Although countless VPs were limited to marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and said the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, always referring to him in official appearances as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, causing him to be determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: potentially, falsehoods, ineptitude, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "obtaining vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were both thin or completely deceptive. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the findings as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence 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: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly emerge from his lair? It's a nice way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US agreements worth substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the firm increased from his $258,394 when he was military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
