The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful occupants of that office in the nation's history. While numerous VPs were confined to peripheral or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he addressed 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 viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any unidentified planes nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on misleading information repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I believed it at the time and I believe it presently."
However even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a memo setting out situations in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, consistently referencing intelligence reports that were whether weak or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush administration indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish programmes 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 earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that operates invisibly leave his lair? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in business but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at multiple billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his time at the firm grew from his quarter-million dollars when he was defence secretary to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling over $20m|twenty
