The former US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in the nation's history. Although countless vice-presidents were confined to minor or figurehead positions, Cheney wielded huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often called as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently referring to him in public as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the government building.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It was the right thing to do then. I had faith back then and I believe it presently."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: at worst, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a memo detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (encompassing "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to operate alone when collective action cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of lowering America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, frequently citing agency briefings that were both weak or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create programmes to apprehend the individuals 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 praise."
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 the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that remains unseen come out of his hole? It's a effective way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him during his tenure as VP. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his time at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
