The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered among the most influential holders of that position in US history. Although countless vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or figurehead functions, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, always referring to him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any non-communicating planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks changed him, leading him to become intent on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I had faith back then and I hold that view today."
However even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he later wrote "clear negligence, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush also had assumed the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken supporting attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing intelligence reports that were both weak or totally inaccurate. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney rejected the report as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place procedures to capture the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that nobody ever sees emerge from his hole? That is a nice way to operate, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as VP. Although he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation grew from his $258,394 during his time as military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth more than $20m|twenty
