The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered one of the most influential incumbents of the vice-presidency in US history. Whereas countless VPs were confined to marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney held enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their relationship as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a contingent of conservative hawks that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unidentified planes nearing the government building.
Cheney said the strikes changed him, leading him to become determined on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on inaccurate reports echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It represented the right thing to do at that time. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance today."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum outlining scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been fired 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 plan of diminishing America's participation in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's face that each person had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were both insubstantial or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed labels given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his domain? This represents a effective way to work, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as VP. While he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the White House. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his period at the firm rose from his $258,394 while defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
