The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful incumbents of that position in US history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were confined to minor or symbolic functions, Cheney exercised huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney said the strikes changed him, making him become focused on retribution. Along with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Policies
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the proper decision to do then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view presently."
But even then, there were opposing views at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he wrote later "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: potentially, lying, incompetence, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a memo setting out situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been behind a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's face that everyone had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were either thin or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and create programmes to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the shadows that remains unseen come out of his domain? It's a nice way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him through his period as VP. Although he had little experience in business but good contacts in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the firm grew from his quarter-million dollars when he was defence secretary to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a package worth more than $20m|twenty
