The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as among the most powerful holders of that office in American history. Although countless vice-presidents had to settle for minor or symbolic positions, Cheney held substantial power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and said the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any unidentified planes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, making him become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the waterboarding of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on misleading intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I believed it then and I hold that view presently."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a document outlining situations in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency vaguely intent on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's visage that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, consistently referencing information documents that were either weak or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his hole? That is a nice way to operate, actually."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as VP. Although he had limited background in business but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals worth substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm rose from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
