The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered arguably the most significant occupants of that office in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents were limited to marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly called as the "real president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a group of neo-cons that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney said the attacks changed him, causing him to be intent on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It represented the right thing to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I believe it presently."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: potentially, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had written a memo outlining circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be prepared to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," explicitly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, 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 likeness of his father's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, repeatedly citing information documents that were whether insubstantial or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush White House indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the findings as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [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 ensure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen leave his lair? That is a nice way to work, truthfully."
Business Interests
Debate over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his time at the company grew from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth more than $20m|twenty
