The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most significant incumbents of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently called as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, always calling him in public settings as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.
The Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive planes nearing the government building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, making him become focused on retribution. Together with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memo setting out circumstances in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the presidency generally inclined on executing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of diminishing America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken advocating invading Iraq, consistently referencing agency briefings that were both weak or totally inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the torture, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to capture the bastards who murdered 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 labels given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen come out of his hole? This represents a nice way to function, actually."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as second-in-command. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company increased from his $258,394 during his time as military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
