The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that office in US history. Although numerous vice-presidents were confined to minor or figurehead roles, Cheney exercised huge power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the connection was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always calling him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a session at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the destruction of any unidentified planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks transformed him, making him become intent on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Policies
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view presently."
Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a memorandum detailing circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the Oval Office vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of lowering America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a plot to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his predecessor's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were whether weak or completely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and create programmes to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen emerge from his lair? That is a effective way to function, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary during his time as military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
