The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was regarded as among the most influential occupants of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas many second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney held enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the dynamic was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. Regardless of these denials, Cheney viewed the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a session at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the government building.
Cheney said the assaults changed him, causing him to be determined on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Actions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the harsh treatment of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the correct action to do back then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view now."
However even then, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, deception, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for comparable steps. He had composed a document detailing situations in which American interests might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, consistently referencing intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush government politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels given to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that nobody ever sees come out of his lair? That is a advantageous way to operate, in fact."
Business Interests
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. Although he had little experience in business but established relationships in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his time at the company grew from his $258,394 while military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth in excess of $20m|twenty
