The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in US history. While countless vice-presidents were limited to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently addressing him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become determined on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Actions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
However even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he wrote later "clear negligence, inaction, and irresponsibility: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had drafted a memorandum outlining scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his father's face that each person had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, repeatedly citing agency briefings that were both insubstantial or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place initiatives to apprehend the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by critics such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his domain? This represents a nice way to function, in fact."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him through his period as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts worth multiple billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm grew from his $258,394 while military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
