The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that office in American history. While numerous VPs had to settle for minor or symbolic functions, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a team because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these objections, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a group of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on misleading information echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
However even then, there were opposing views at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a memo detailing scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be arranged," explicitly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the White House generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, 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 diminishing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his predecessor's face that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly referencing intelligence reports that were either weak or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had come from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to capture the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the pair, 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 corner that remains unseen emerge from his hole? It's a effective way to function, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his time at the firm rose from his $258,394 while military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
