The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most influential holders of that position in American history. Although countless vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or symbolic positions, Cheney exercised enormous power during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented that description and stated the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president malleable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the destruction of any non-communicating planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks transformed him, making him become intent on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It was the correct action to do then. I had faith back then and I hold that view today."
But during that period, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a document detailing scenarios in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "availability of vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's visage that all visitors had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind striking Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or entirely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to capture the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that nobody ever sees leave his hole? That is a advantageous way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as second-in-command. While he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US contracts worth billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the company grew from his $258,394 during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
