The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. While countless vice-presidents had to settle for marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were peers. In spite of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed military head 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 attending a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the destruction of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks changed him, leading him to become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the correct action to do back then. I believed it back then and I maintain that stance today."
However even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a memo outlining circumstances in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed 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 Middle East dispute and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a plot to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's countenance that each person had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were either weak or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the use of simulated drowning and torture.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen leave his lair? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm grew from his previous salary while military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
