The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as one of the most influential occupants of that position in the nation's history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were confined to marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly called as the "real president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently calling him in official appearances as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the easygoing president accommodating on a broad range of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the government building.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. Together with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the right thing to do then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view presently."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, at a minimum," he later wrote "clear negligence, carelessness, and unaccountability: at worst, falsehoods, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a document setting out situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be positioned to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the Oval Office generally inclined on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his predecessor's face that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken advocating striking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create initiatives to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 volume 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 emerge from his hole? It's a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him during his tenure as VP. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his period at the corporation rose from his previous salary while defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty
