The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential holders of that position in US history. While numerous vice-presidents were confined to marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "real president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and said the relationship was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a contingent of conservative hawks that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated 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 attending a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks changed him, leading him to become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of detainees captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It was the right thing to do then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance today."
However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he later wrote "clear negligence, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had written a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (including "access to essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his predecessor's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken supporting attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were both weak or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that remains unseen come out of his hole? It's a effective way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his business interests accompanied him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had little experience in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts valued at multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his time at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty
