The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most powerful occupants of that position in the nation's history. Although countless VPs had to settle for minor or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often called as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in public as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of administrative determinations.
The Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a faction of neo-cons that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on retaliation. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Debated Policies
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on faulty intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I hold that view today."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a memo detailing situations in which US concerns might be threatened (including "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his parent's countenance that each person had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were whether insubstantial or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had come from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to capture the bastards who killed 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."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in nicknames assigned to him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the background that remains unseen leave his hole? This represents a advantageous way to function, actually."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the White House. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars while military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling over $20m|twenty