The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in the nation's history. Although countless vice-presidents were limited to peripheral or symbolic positions, Cheney exercised huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "real president".
Bush resented that description and stated the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently referring to him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
The Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a group of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes nearing the government building.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate reports echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do then. I had faith then and I hold that view now."
However even then, there were opposing views at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: potentially, lying, unfitness, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had composed a memo detailing scenarios in which national priorities might be threatened (featuring "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when collective action prove impossible," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been dismissed 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 declared his intention of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's visage that everyone had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous supporting invading Iraq, frequently citing agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the findings as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to apprehend the individuals 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 deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his domain? It's a nice way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US contracts valued at billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm increased from his $258,394 while military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
