The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential holders of that position in the nation's history. While numerous VPs were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised enormous sway 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 claimed the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently calling him in official appearances as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a partnership because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, leading him to become determined on revenge. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the harsh treatment of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the correct action to do back then. I had faith at the time and I hold that view now."
But even then, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, incompetence, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had written a memorandum detailing scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be arranged," explicitly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the White House generally inclined on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his father's face that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were both thin or entirely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create procedures to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? That is a effective way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations followed him through his period as vice-president. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but good contacts in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his period at the corporation grew from his previous salary when he was defence secretary to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
