The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential occupants of that office in US history. While countless VPs had to settle for peripheral or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the connection was more complex. He observed that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unresponsive planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks transformed him, making him become determined on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Debated Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the harsh treatment of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It represented the correct action to do then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view presently."
Yet even then, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he later wrote "clear negligence, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memo outlining scenarios in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken supporting attacking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were either insubstantial or entirely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to apprehend the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by critics such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen leave his lair? This represents a advantageous way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his commercial relationships accompanied him during his tenure as second-in-command. Even though he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the company grew from his $258,394 when he was military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
