The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as among the most powerful holders of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous VPs had to settle for minor or symbolic roles, Cheney held enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented that description and claimed the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their relationship as a team because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become determined on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on misleading information echoed by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had written a document outlining circumstances in which American interests might be threatened (encompassing "availability of essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were both thin or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees emerge from his domain? This represents a effective way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as VP. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company rose from his quarter-million dollars while military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth more than $20m|twenty
