The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant holders of that office in US history. While numerous VPs had to settle for peripheral or symbolic functions, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably referring to him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, making him become determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on inaccurate reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance today."
But during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing situations in which national priorities might be endangered (including "obtaining crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his father, 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 predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were whether thin or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to apprehend the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? It's a nice way to work, actually."
Business Interests
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as vice-president. Even though he had minimal expertise in commerce but established relationships in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm increased from his previous salary during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
