The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in US history. Whereas countless VPs were confined to minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded enormous sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and said the relationship was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was deferential, always referring to him in public as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the downing of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, making him become determined on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do then. I believed it back then and I believe it today."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a document outlining situations in which US concerns might be compromised (including "availability of vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on executing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip 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 tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind attacking Iraq, consistently quoting agency briefings that were both weak or totally inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to catch the perpetrators who murdered 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 credit."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen leave his lair? This represents a effective way to operate, in fact."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his period at the company rose from his $258,394 while defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at more than $20m|twenty
