The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was seen as one of the most influential occupants of that office in the nation's history. Whereas countless VPs had to settle for minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded huge power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and stated the connection was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a school in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the downing of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, leading him to become intent on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, 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 armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Policies
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the correct action to do back then. I had faith then and I believe it now."
Yet even then, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memorandum detailing scenarios in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of reducing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance 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 additionally disliked that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were both weak or entirely misleading. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish programmes to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in labels assigned to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? That is a advantageous way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. While he had limited background in commerce but good contacts in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US contracts worth substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the company rose from his quarter-million dollars during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
