The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most significant occupants of that position in the nation's history. Whereas many vice-presidents were limited to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a group of neo-conservatives that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It was the correct action to do then. I was convinced back then and I hold that view now."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, at a minimum," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a document outlining scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (including "obtaining crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been sacked 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 declared his intention of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his father's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were both weak or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish programmes to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his hole? This represents a advantageous way to operate, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation grew from his $258,394 when he was military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
