The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. While numerous vice-presidents had to settle for minor or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably referring to him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults altered his perspective, making him become focused on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do back then. I believed it then and I maintain that stance presently."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, at a minimum," he later wrote "clear negligence, carelessness, and unaccountability: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had drafted a memo outlining scenarios in which US concerns might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures prove impossible," explicitly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind invading Iraq, repeatedly citing agency briefings that were whether thin or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place procedures to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the background that nobody ever sees leave his domain? It's a advantageous way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US contracts worth substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars while Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling over $20m|twenty
