The late US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as among the most significant holders of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous vice-presidents had to settle for minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney exercised huge power during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a team because it suggested that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a session at a school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive planes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, making him become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the proper decision to do back then. I believed it at the time and I believe it now."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, at the very least," he later wrote "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memorandum setting out scenarios in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit 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 predecessor's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken supporting striking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were both insubstantial or entirely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of waterboarding and torture.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no useful information had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed nicknames assigned to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion 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: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen come out of his domain? It's a advantageous way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as second-in-command. While he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy companies, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US deals valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
