The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most influential incumbents of that office in US history. While countless second-in-commands had to settle for minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and stated the dynamic was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, causing him to be intent on retribution. Together with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the correct action to do then. I had faith then and I maintain that stance now."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the poor management 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 observed, at a minimum," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a document outlining scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on implementing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted 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 defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind striking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were either weak or totally inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the employment of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to apprehend the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the pair, 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 nobody ever sees leave his domain? It's a effective way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals totaling billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm grew from his quarter-million dollars during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
