The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Although many VPs had to settle for peripheral or figurehead positions, Cheney held substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, consistently addressing him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a wide array of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-cons that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks transformed him, making him become determined on retaliation. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It proved to be the correct action to do back then. I believed it back then and I hold that view now."
However during that period, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had drafted a memorandum setting out situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House generally inclined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind invading Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were either weak or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place programmes to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his hole? That is a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in business but good contacts in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation rose from his $258,394 while defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty
