The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful incumbents of that position in the nation's history. Whereas many vice-presidents had to settle for marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, consistently calling him in public settings as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney found the easygoing president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a school in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unidentified airplanes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, leading him to become focused on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Policies
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It was the proper decision to do then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance today."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had written a memo setting out situations in which national priorities might be threatened (featuring "access to essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency vaguely intent on executing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his parent's visage that each person had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were either weak or completely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by detractors such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his lair? That is a effective way to operate, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his business interests followed him through his period as VP. Although he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his time at the company increased from his previous salary while military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
