The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most powerful occupants of the vice-presidency in US history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents had to settle for peripheral or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded huge influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "real president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and stated the relationship was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably referring to him in public as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.
The Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention 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 attending a session at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any unresponsive planes nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become determined on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort 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 Policies
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the right thing to do then. I had faith at the time and I believe it presently."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, incompetence, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a memo setting out scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (featuring "availability of vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating invading Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or completely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly leave his lair? This represents a effective way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his business interests accompanied him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in business but good contacts in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation rose from his previous salary during his time as military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty