The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as among the most significant occupants of that position in the nation's history. Whereas many vice-presidents were confined to marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney held enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unresponsive planes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, making him become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Policies
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a document detailing scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be positioned to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, frequently citing intelligence reports that were both thin or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 book 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 corner that operates invisibly come out of his domain? That is a nice way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had limited background in business but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the White House. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his period at the corporation increased from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling more than $20m|twenty
