The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Although countless vice-presidents were limited to minor or symbolic positions, Cheney exercised substantial power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and said the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, always referring to him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a broad range of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the government building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be intent on revenge. Along with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on faulty intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith then and I maintain that stance now."
But even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had composed a document outlining circumstances in which American interests might be endangered (including "availability of essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," explicitly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the Oval Office generally inclined on carrying out what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of lowering America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's face that each person had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were either weak or totally deceptive. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in nicknames imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen emerge from his domain? It's a nice way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as VP. While he had little experience in business but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals worth billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
