The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most influential incumbents of that office in US history. Whereas numerous VPs had to settle for marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised enormous influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a partnership because it indicated that they were peers. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a faction of neo-cons that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unidentified planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks transformed him, making him become focused on retribution. Along with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the enhanced interrogation of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I believed it at the time and I believe it now."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, negligence, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (including "obtaining vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to operate alone when collective action cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a plot to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were both insubstantial or completely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to catch the perpetrators who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by opponents such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that operates invisibly come out of his lair? That is a advantageous way to work, in fact."
Business Interests
Dispute over his business interests accompanied him through his period as VP. Although he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US agreements totaling billions.
It made him rich. His annual income during his period at the firm rose from his previous salary while Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
