The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most powerful incumbents of that office in the nation's history. Although countless vice-presidents were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, consistently addressing him in public as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney viewed the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of governmental choices.
The Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become focused on retaliation. Along with other conservative figures, 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 invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the waterboarding of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It proved to be the right thing to do back then. I believed it back then and I maintain that stance today."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memo setting out situations in which US concerns might be compromised (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when collective action prove impossible," explicitly referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House generally inclined on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his parent's face that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen come out of his lair? This represents a advantageous way to function, actually."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in commerce but good contacts in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary while military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
