The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in the nation's history. Whereas countless VPs were limited to minor or symbolic functions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a team because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a faction of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a meeting at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, causing him to be intent on retribution. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It was the right thing to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view presently."
Yet even then, 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 dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and unaccountability: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a document setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be positioned to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were both insubstantial or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had come from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to capture the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed labels assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen come out of his lair? It's a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as vice-president. Although he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his time at the company rose from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
