The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in American history. While numerous VPs were limited to marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded enormous power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly described as the "true president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a team because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a contingent of conservative hawks that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unidentified airplanes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes changed him, leading him to become focused on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance presently."
However even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he later wrote "clear negligence, negligence, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had written a document setting out scenarios in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "availability of essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be positioned to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the Treasury head 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 involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate 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 parent's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were both weak or completely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to capture the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his lair? It's a nice way to operate, actually."
Business Interests
Dispute over his business interests followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals valued at substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling more than $20m|twenty
