The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered one of the most powerful occupants of that position in US history. Whereas numerous VPs were confined to minor or symbolic roles, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Policies
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty information repeated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It was the correct action to do then. I had faith then and I believe it presently."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, at a minimum," he wrote later "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the White House generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked 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 announced his objective of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his father's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were both insubstantial or totally deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush White House politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to capture the perpetrators who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly emerge from his hole? It's a effective way to function, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as second-in-command. While he had limited background in business but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his period at the firm grew from his previous salary while defence secretary to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
