The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential occupants of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas countless second-in-commands were limited to minor or symbolic positions, Cheney held enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly described as the "real president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the dynamic was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a team because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive planes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the assaults transformed him, leading him to become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on misleading reports echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the right thing to do then. I had faith back then and I hold that view today."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a memo detailing situations in which US concerns might be threatened (encompassing "availability of essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting invading Iraq, consistently quoting agency briefings that were whether weak or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that nobody ever sees leave his hole? This represents a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him through his period as VP. Although he had little experience in business but good contacts in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals totaling substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
