The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most significant occupants of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were limited to marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the destruction of any unidentified aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the strikes transformed him, leading him to become determined on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Policies
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the correct action to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view today."
But during that period, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he later wrote "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a document detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "access to essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," explicitly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, consistently citing agency briefings that were both weak or totally misleading. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to apprehend the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the background that remains unseen emerge from his hole? It's a advantageous way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals totaling substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the firm increased from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty
