The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents had to settle for minor or symbolic roles, Cheney held huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush resented that description and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the destruction of any unidentified aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney said the strikes transformed him, making him become focused on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the proper decision to do then. I was convinced back then and I hold that view presently."
Yet during that period, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a document setting out circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "access to essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly citing intelligence reports that were whether weak or completely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush government indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen leave his lair? It's a advantageous way to operate, actually."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as second-in-command. Although he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
