The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant occupants of that position in the nation's history. While countless second-in-commands had to settle for minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney held enormous sway during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly described as the "real president".
Bush resented that description and claimed the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in official appearances as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the enhanced interrogation of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty reports circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
But even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he later wrote "clear negligence, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, incompetence, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had drafted a memorandum outlining circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous behind attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were whether thin or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and torture.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and put in place programmes to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly come out of his lair? This represents a nice way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests pursued him throughout his time as VP. Although he had little experience in commerce but good contacts in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his time at the corporation grew from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
