The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in US history. Whereas countless VPs had to settle for peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney exercised huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the dynamic was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently calling him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a session at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any unidentified planes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on retaliation. Together with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty information repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I had faith back then and I maintain that stance today."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a document detailing scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "obtaining essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be prepared to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House generally inclined on implementing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's visage that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken advocating striking Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were both insubstantial or totally inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of waterboarding and torture.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by critics such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his hole? It's a nice way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as second-in-command. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his time at the company increased from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
