The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas countless VPs had to settle for marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney held huge sway during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was respectful, consistently calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a group of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, causing him to be focused on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the enhanced interrogation of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance presently."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a document detailing situations in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when collective action prove impossible," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of reducing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were either thin or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and torture.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by critics such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication 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 operates invisibly leave his lair? That is a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him during his tenure as VP. While he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the company grew from his $258,394 when he was military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling over $20m|twenty
