The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most powerful incumbents of that position in American history. While countless second-in-commands were confined to minor or figurehead positions, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly described as the "true president".
Bush resented that description and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always addressing him in public settings as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence 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. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney said the strikes changed him, making him become focused on retaliation. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Policies
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on misleading reports repeated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do back then. I was convinced back then and I believe it today."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, lying, incompetence, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a document outlining circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his parent's countenance that everyone had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were whether weak or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place programmes to apprehend the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling 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: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the shadows that nobody ever sees emerge from his hole? It's a effective way to operate, actually."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as VP. While he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his time at the corporation rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
