The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most significant incumbents of that office in the nation's history. While many vice-presidents had to settle for marginal or figurehead positions, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "real president".
Bush objected to that description and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a team because it suggested that they were equals. Despite these objections, Cheney considered the easygoing president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of neo-cons that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on misleading reports echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the correct action to do then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a top tier 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 position. "I observed, as a baseline," he later wrote "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: potentially, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (including "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's visage that each person had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken supporting striking Iraq, frequently quoting agency briefings that were both thin or completely misleading. He endorsed what the Bush government politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that operates invisibly come out of his domain? This represents a advantageous way to function, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as VP. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his time at the corporation rose from his $258,394 during his time as military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
