The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as arguably the most influential occupants of that position in American history. Whereas many vice-presidents were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney held enormous influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the dynamic was more complex. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably referring to him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks transformed him, making him become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I believed it back then and I maintain that stance today."
But during that period, there were opposing views at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, falsehoods, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to operate alone when collective action prove impossible," explicitly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on executing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his father's face that everyone had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous behind attacking Iraq, frequently citing intelligence reports that were either thin or entirely misleading. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to capture the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen leave his domain? This represents a advantageous way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his corporate affiliations accompanied him through his period as second-in-command. While he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the company increased from his quarter-million dollars while Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling over $20m|twenty
