The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of that position in US history. Although numerous VPs were confined to peripheral or symbolic positions, Cheney exercised huge power during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly called as the "real president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently referring to him in public settings as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading information repeated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do back then. I believed it then and I believe it today."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, deception, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a document outlining scenarios in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had assumed the presidency vaguely intent on implementing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's face that each person had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, repeatedly citing agency briefings that were whether weak or totally deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create initiatives to apprehend the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by critics such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that remains unseen leave his lair? This represents a effective way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as VP. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the firm grew from his quarter-million dollars while military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling more than $20m|twenty
