The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as one of the most influential holders of that position in the nation's history. Whereas many second-in-commands had to settle for minor or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly called as the "actual president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the connection was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in public as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any non-communicating airplanes nearing the government building.
Cheney said the strikes transformed him, causing him to be intent on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Policies
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had composed a memo setting out scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (including "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a scheme to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vehement supporting striking Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were whether thin or completely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the use of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed labels imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the evil genius in the background that nobody ever sees leave his lair? That is a advantageous way to function, actually."
Business Interests
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had limited background in business but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
