The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant holders of that office in US history. Although countless second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always calling him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks transformed him, making him become determined on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I believe it now."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum outlining situations in which national priorities might be threatened (featuring "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his father's face that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were either insubstantial or totally misleading. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to capture the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his lair? That is a nice way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as VP. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US contracts worth multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the corporation rose from his $258,394 while Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
