The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in American history. Whereas many VPs were limited to minor or symbolic functions, Cheney held huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these denials, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive planes nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It was the correct action to do back then. I had faith at the time and I hold that view presently."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, at a minimum," he wrote later "clear negligence, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memorandum detailing situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind striking Iraq, frequently citing intelligence reports that were both weak or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish procedures to catch the perpetrators who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the shadows that operates invisibly leave his lair? That is a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his business interests pursued him during his tenure as VP. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the firm increased from his previous salary during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
