The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. Although numerous second-in-commands had to settle for minor or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was often called as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in public as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their relationship as a partnership because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the shooting down of any unidentified airplanes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become determined on retribution. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate reports echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do then. I had faith back then and I maintain that stance presently."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his father's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were either weak or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish programmes to capture the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that operates invisibly emerge from his hole? It's a effective way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his corporate affiliations followed him during his tenure as second-in-command. While he had little experience in corporate affairs but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm increased from his previous salary while Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
