The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as among the most influential occupants of that office in American history. Although many second-in-commands had to settle for marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney wielded huge sway during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the dynamic was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a partnership because it indicated that they were on equal footing. In spite of such protestations, Cheney found the easygoing president accommodating on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a faction of neo-cons that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney said the attacks changed him, making him become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the proper decision to do then. I was convinced then and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had composed a memo outlining scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," explicitly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House somewhat determined on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, repeatedly referencing intelligence reports that were whether thin or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to capture the perpetrators who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his lair? That is a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his business interests accompanied him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm rose from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
