The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as among the most significant occupants of that office in US history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents had to settle for marginal or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded substantial power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush resented that description and stated the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were equals. Despite such protestations, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of neo-conservatives 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 September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the downing of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney said the assaults transformed him, causing him to be intent on revenge. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I hold that view now."
Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a memo detailing situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, repeatedly citing information documents that were both weak or totally deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush White House politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his hole? It's a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts valued at billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty
