The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was considered among the most significant occupants of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas many VPs had to settle for marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney held enormous power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the connection was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were peers. In spite of these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the downing of any unidentified airplanes approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the assaults changed him, leading him to become determined on retribution. Together with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Policies
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty information repeated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I had faith then and I maintain that stance now."
However even then, there were opposing views at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had written a document detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be positioned to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken supporting invading Iraq, consistently referencing agency briefings that were either insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create programmes to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames imposed on 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 Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? That is a advantageous way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in commerce but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the company rose from his $258,394 when he was military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
