The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as among the most significant occupants of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or symbolic functions, Cheney held substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush resented that description and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in public as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their relationship as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unidentified airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults transformed him, leading him to become focused on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It represented the right thing to do then. I had faith then and I hold that view presently."
But during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a document outlining scenarios in which US concerns might be compromised (including "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his parent's face that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous supporting invading Iraq, repeatedly citing agency briefings that were both thin or totally deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of simulated drowning and torture.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly emerge from his lair? That is a effective way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation grew from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
