The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered arguably the most powerful holders of that office in American history. Whereas many VPs were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney wielded huge power during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly called as the "real president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and said the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always referring to him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it suggested that they were equals. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence 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 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do then. I had faith back then and I hold that view presently."
However even then, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (including "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had assumed the White House vaguely intent on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his parent's visage that everyone had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were both thin or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no useful information had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the background that remains unseen leave his lair? This represents a effective way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as VP. Even though he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm grew from his previous salary during his time as military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
