The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as arguably the most influential occupants of that position in American history. While numerous vice-presidents were limited to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public settings as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
The Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a faction of neo-cons that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the strikes changed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the right thing to do back then. I believed it then and I hold that view presently."
But even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had drafted a document outlining circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of diminishing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to 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 step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting striking Iraq, frequently referencing intelligence reports that were either insubstantial or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and torture.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to capture the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen leave his lair? It's a effective way to operate, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his business interests pursued him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US deals worth billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation rose from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
