The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in US history. Although countless second-in-commands were limited to marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush objected to that description and claimed the connection was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion 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 participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I had faith then and I hold that view now."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions 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 not retained from the post. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had composed a document outlining scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be positioned to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the White House vaguely intent on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been fired by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were both weak or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "advanced techniques", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed labels assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees emerge from his lair? This represents a effective way to operate, actually."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him during his tenure as VP. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy corporations, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his time at the company grew from his $258,394 during his time as military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling more than $20m|twenty
