The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered among the most significant holders of that office in the nation's history. Although countless second-in-commands had to settle for marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of conservative hawks that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, making him become intent on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It was the right thing to do back then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance now."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had drafted a memorandum outlining circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," explicitly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his predecessor's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently referencing agency briefings that were either insubstantial or entirely misleading. He endorsed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to capture the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in monikers assigned to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the background that remains unseen emerge from his domain? That is a nice way to work, actually."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships followed him through his period as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm grew from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
