The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential holders of that office in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands were confined to minor or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised enormous influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and said the relationship was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always referring to him in public as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, leading him to become focused on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I believe it presently."
Yet even then, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had drafted a memo detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "access to essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his father's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were either weak or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? This represents a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his business interests pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. Even though he had minimal expertise in commerce but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas companies, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the corporation grew from his $258,394 while military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
