The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were limited to peripheral or figurehead positions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the connection was more complex. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably referring to him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their association as a team because it implied that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
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 strongly advocated the military intervention 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 meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, making him become determined on retribution. Along with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do then. I was convinced back then and I believe it today."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had composed a memo setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when collective action cannot be orchestrated," explicitly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's face that each person had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, consistently quoting agency briefings that were both thin or completely deceptive. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and create programmes to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure 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 manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that nobody ever sees leave his domain? That is a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his period at the company rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth more than $20m|twenty
