The former US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as one of the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in US history. While numerous second-in-commands were confined to minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney exercised enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and claimed the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently referring to him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a team because it indicated that they were equals. Despite such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a group of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks 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 underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I believed it at the time and I believe it today."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, as a baseline," he later wrote "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum detailing situations in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been fired 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 declared his plan of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were whether weak or totally inaccurate. He supported what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed labels given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that remains unseen come out of his lair? This represents a nice way to function, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had limited background in business but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
