The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most influential incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. Although many VPs were limited to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "true president".
Bush resented that description and stated the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, always calling him in official appearances as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the easygoing president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a group of conservative hawks that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the government building.
Cheney claimed the assaults changed him, making him become intent on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the right thing to do then. I had faith at the time and I hold that view now."
Yet during that period, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, lying, unfitness, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a document setting out situations in which national priorities might be endangered (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were whether weak or completely deceptive. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the findings as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place initiatives to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by critics such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a shadow power 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: "Do I represent the evil genius in the background that operates invisibly leave his hole? It's a nice way to work, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships followed him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US deals worth billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty
