The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered among the most significant occupants of that office in the nation's history. While many vice-presidents were confined to marginal or ceremonial positions, Cheney held substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was often described as the "real president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was deferential, consistently referring to him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. Despite such protestations, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a group of neo-cons that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a meeting at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating planes nearing the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults transformed him, making him become focused on retaliation. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Policies
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I had faith then and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he later wrote "obvious failure, carelessness, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, incompetence, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memo detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (featuring "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures prove impossible," explicitly referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency somewhat determined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's visage that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were whether weak or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to capture the individuals who murdered 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."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed labels given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the sinister strategist in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his lair? That is a effective way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. While he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US agreements worth substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his tenure at the company increased from his quarter-million dollars during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
