The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most powerful incumbents of that office in US history. Although numerous vice-presidents had to settle for minor or symbolic functions, Cheney exercised huge power during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. 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-conservatives that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney said the assaults changed him, causing him to be determined on revenge. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Actions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do at that time. I believed it at the time and I maintain that stance today."
However even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had composed a memorandum outlining circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (including "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a conspiracy to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his predecessor's face that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement supporting invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were whether weak or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to capture the individuals 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 enjoyed monikers imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the background that operates invisibly leave his lair? This represents a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as vice-president. Even though he had little experience in business but good contacts in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company increased from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
