The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was considered one of the most influential occupants of that position in American history. Although many vice-presidents were limited to minor or symbolic roles, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly called as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and said the connection was more complex. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the downing of any unresponsive planes heading toward the government building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the right decision. "It represented the proper decision to do then. I believed it back then and I hold that view today."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a document setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "access to crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement supporting invading Iraq, frequently referencing intelligence reports that were both weak or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and torture.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the corner that remains unseen emerge from his hole? It's a effective way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his corporate affiliations followed him through his period as vice-president. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation increased from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
