The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most significant incumbents of that position in American history. While many second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or ceremonial functions, Cheney held enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive planes heading toward the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, making him become determined on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading information repeated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance now."
But even then, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling 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 a minimum," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his predecessor's visage that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous supporting striking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were both weak or totally deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to apprehend the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his lair? It's a effective way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his corporate affiliations accompanied him throughout his time as VP. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm grew from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty