The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that position in US history. Although countless second-in-commands had to settle for minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush disliked that description and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a meeting at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, making him become determined on revenge. Together with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on faulty reports repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It represented the correct action to do then. I was convinced then and I believe it today."
However during that period, there were opposing views at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: in the worst case, falsehoods, ineptitude, and graft."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a memo setting out circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the Oval Office vaguely intent on carrying out what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest 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 one of the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were whether weak or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush White House indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by critics such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist'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 remains unseen come out of his hole? This represents a nice way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. Although he had little experience in business but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation increased from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty
