The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most influential occupants of that position in American history. While numerous VPs were limited to minor or symbolic functions, Cheney held huge influence during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "real president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.
The Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the destruction of any non-communicating planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance today."
Yet during that period, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I witnessed, at the very least," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had composed a document detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "availability of vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the White House somewhat determined on implementing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken supporting striking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were either insubstantial or totally deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and establish procedures to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his lair? That is a nice way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. Although he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
