The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as arguably the most significant incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held enormous influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and said the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unidentified aircraft nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Policies
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I was convinced back then and I hold that view presently."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, unfitness, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had drafted a document outlining circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be positioned to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were whether weak or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no valuable data had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the shadows that remains unseen come out of his hole? This represents a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm rose from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at more than $20m|twenty
