The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered arguably the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. While countless vice-presidents were confined to minor or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and said the relationship was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was deferential, consistently addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes nearing the government building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, making him become focused on retaliation. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the right thing to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I believe it today."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, at the very least," he wrote later "clear negligence, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had drafted a document detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "availability of vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken supporting invading Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were whether weak or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish programmes to capture the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the shadows that nobody ever sees leave his domain? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests followed him through his period as vice-president. Although he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm increased from his $258,394 while defence secretary to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
