The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful occupants of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands were limited to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded substantial power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the downing of any unidentified aircraft nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I believe it today."
Yet even then, there were dissenting voices 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 position. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he later wrote "true dereliction, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a document detailing scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "access to vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the Oval Office vaguely intent on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his predecessor's face that everyone had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were both thin or completely misleading. He endorsed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to capture the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen leave his domain? This represents a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in business but strong connections in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company increased from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
