The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas many vice-presidents had to settle for minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised huge power during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "real president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in official appearances as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a group of conservative hawks that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It was the correct action to do back then. I was convinced at the time and I believe it presently."
But even then, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he wrote later "clear negligence, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (encompassing "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, consistently citing information documents that were whether weak or entirely misleading. He supported what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and create programmes to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen leave his hole? This represents a effective way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests pursued him through his period as vice-president. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation grew from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty
