The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant occupants of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were limited to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly described as the "real president".
Bush disliked that description and stated the dynamic was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently referring to him in official appearances as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the laidback president accommodating on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a contingent of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the right thing to do then. I believed it at the time and I believe it presently."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he later wrote "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "obtaining essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to operate alone when collective action prove impossible," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous behind attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were both insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and establish procedures to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly leave his domain? This represents a advantageous way to operate, in fact."
Business Interests
Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him during his tenure as VP. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm increased from his $258,394 when he was defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty
