The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that position in American history. Whereas many vice-presidents were limited to peripheral or figurehead roles, Cheney held enormous power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly called as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president accommodating on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks changed him, making him become focused on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith back then and I maintain that stance presently."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he later wrote "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a memorandum outlining circumstances in which American interests might be threatened (including "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were both insubstantial or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place programmes to capture the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his hole? This represents a effective way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had limited background in business but good contacts in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy corporations, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation increased from his previous salary when he was military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
