The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in American history. Although numerous vice-presidents had to settle for marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently described as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and stated the connection was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably referring to him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a team because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A 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 answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any unidentified planes nearing the government building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on retribution. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading reports echoed by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the correct action to do then. I had faith back then and I maintain that stance presently."
Yet even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, unfitness, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a memorandum detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (featuring "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency somewhat determined on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed 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 announced his plan of lowering America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his parent's countenance that each person had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were either weak or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place programmes to apprehend the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the duo, 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 nobody ever sees emerge from his lair? That is a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his business interests accompanied him throughout his time as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the corporation grew from his quarter-million dollars during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
