The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most powerful holders of that position in the nation's history. While numerous second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised huge influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was deferential, consistently calling him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a group of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive planes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, leading him to become determined on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on faulty information repeated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It was the correct action to do then. I believed it then and I maintain that stance presently."
But during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he wrote later "clear negligence, negligence, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a memo setting out circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (including "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been fired 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 reducing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his father's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, frequently referencing agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no valuable data had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by detractors such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that nobody ever sees come out of his lair? This represents a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in business but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the company grew from his $258,394 when he was defence secretary to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
