The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas countless vice-presidents had to settle for minor or figurehead roles, Cheney wielded huge sway during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently called as the "real president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a group of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes changed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It was the right thing to do then. I believed it then and I believe it today."
However even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memo detailing scenarios in which national priorities might be compromised (including "access to crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be prepared to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his father's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous supporting invading Iraq, consistently citing agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or totally misleading. He supported what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to apprehend the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? This represents a effective way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had limited background in business but good contacts in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the corporation increased from his $258,394 while military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty
