The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents had to settle for peripheral or symbolic functions, Cheney wielded enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more complex. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president pliable on a broad range of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a group of neo-conservatives that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the downing of any unidentified aircraft nearing the government building.
Cheney stated the strikes transformed him, making him become intent on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 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 military action, which was predicated on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the right thing to do back then. I believed it at the time and I believe it today."
Yet even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of diminishing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind invading Iraq, consistently citing information documents that were either insubstantial or entirely misleading. He backed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to capture the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by critics such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the sinister strategist in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? It's a effective way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the firm grew from his $258,394 while military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at more than $20m|twenty
