The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in US history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were limited to marginal or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded substantial sway during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often called as the "real president".
Bush disliked that description and claimed the relationship was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these denials, Cheney found the easygoing president accommodating on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, making him become determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on inaccurate reports echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith then and I hold that view today."
Yet even then, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memo detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency vaguely intent on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were both weak or totally deceptive. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to capture the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, 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 shadows that operates invisibly leave his hole? This represents a effective way to operate, actually."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his period at the corporation grew from his previous salary during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
