The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as among the most powerful occupants of that office in the nation's history. Whereas many vice-presidents were limited to minor or ceremonial positions, Cheney held enormous power during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably calling him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a team because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that featured military head 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. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the assaults transformed him, making him become intent on retaliation. In conjunction with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
Yet even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had written a memorandum detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be threatened (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his father's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement supporting striking Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were both weak or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush government politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the findings as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to catch the perpetrators who killed 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 recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly emerge from his domain? This represents a advantageous way to work, actually."
Commercial Ties
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US agreements worth billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company rose from his previous salary when he was military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
