The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered among the most powerful holders of that position in the nation's history. Whereas countless VPs were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney wielded enormous influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often called as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently referring to him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney viewed the easygoing president accommodating on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the downing of any unidentified planes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, causing him to be determined on retribution. Along with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It represented the right thing to do then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view now."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he later wrote "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had composed a memorandum setting out situations in which American interests might be compromised (including "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to take unilateral action when cooperative measures prove impossible," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the finance chief 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 Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a plot to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's face that each person had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were both thin or totally misleading. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? That is a effective way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the firm grew from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
