The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most influential incumbents of that position in the nation's history. Although numerous vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating planes approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, making him become focused on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the harsh treatment of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on misleading intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It represented the right thing to do then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he wrote later "clear negligence, negligence, and recklessness: potentially, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had composed a document detailing situations in which American interests might be compromised (including "access to crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be positioned to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's countenance that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing intelligence reports that were either insubstantial or entirely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his hole? This represents a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as VP. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his period at the firm rose from his $258,394 while defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
