The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered one of the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Although numerous vice-presidents were confined to marginal or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and said the dynamic was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was deferential, always calling him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the shooting down of any unidentified planes nearing the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, making him become determined on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Policies
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the right thing to do then. I had faith then and I maintain that stance presently."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had written a memo setting out situations in which national priorities might be endangered (including "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were either thin or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen come out of his lair? It's a nice way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his corporate affiliations accompanied him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts worth billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the corporation increased from his previous salary during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
