The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as one of the most significant holders of that position in US history. Although many VPs had to settle for peripheral or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the easygoing president accommodating on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a group of conservative hawks that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the destruction of any unidentified aircraft approaching the government building.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be intent on retaliation. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I believed it at the time and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, incompetence, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a document outlining scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's countenance that each person had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous supporting striking Iraq, consistently referencing agency briefings that were whether thin or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that remains unseen come out of his lair? This represents a effective way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his business interests followed him through his period as vice-president. Although he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the firm rose from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
