The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most significant occupants of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands were limited to minor or symbolic functions, Cheney held enormous influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly referred to as the "real president".
Bush disliked that description and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their relationship as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney found the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like 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, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It represented the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view today."
Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be positioned to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," particularly referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his predecessor's visage that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were either insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to capture the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by detractors such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the background that operates invisibly emerge from his lair? It's a advantageous way to work, actually."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US deals worth billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary while military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
