The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in US history. While numerous second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or symbolic roles, Cheney held huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "true president".
Bush objected to that description and stated the connection was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney considered the easygoing president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating airplanes heading toward the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, making him become intent on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I believed it at the time and I believe it now."
But even then, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a document detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (featuring "access to crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were both thin or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to capture the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in nicknames imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? That is a effective way to operate, actually."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the company grew from his previous salary during his time as military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
