The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was considered one of the most powerful incumbents of that office in US history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were limited to marginal or symbolic functions, Cheney held huge influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and claimed the connection was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably calling him in public as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, leading him to become focused on revenge. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the enhanced interrogation of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I believed it then and I believe it today."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a document setting out situations in which US concerns might be compromised (including "availability of vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when cooperative measures prove impossible," explicitly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been fired by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of reducing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's visage that each person had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken supporting invading Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were whether insubstantial or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of simulated drowning and torture.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his lair? This represents a advantageous way to operate, actually."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him during his tenure as second-in-command. Although he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his period at the company rose from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
