The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands were limited to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "real president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the armed incursion 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 session at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney said the assaults changed him, causing him to be focused on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Policies
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on misleading information repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the proper decision to do back then. I believed it back then and I hold that view today."
But during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had composed a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be positioned to act independently when collective action prove impossible," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency generally inclined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's face that everyone had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were whether thin or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish programmes to capture the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? That is a nice way to function, actually."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm increased from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
