The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in American history. Although many VPs were limited to peripheral or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently described as the "actual president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more complex. He noted that Cheney was deferential, always calling him in official appearances as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.
A Period Following the Attacks
Leading of a group of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, making him become focused on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance presently."
But during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, at the very least," he later wrote "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a document detailing situations in which US concerns might be endangered (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," explicitly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's face that everyone had to tread upon.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement advocating attacking Iraq, consistently referencing intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that remains unseen emerge from his lair? That is a nice way to operate, in fact."
Business Interests
Controversy over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in business but established relationships in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the company grew from his quarter-million dollars when he was military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
