The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as one of the most significant holders of that position in American history. Whereas many vice-presidents were limited to marginal or figurehead positions, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly referred to as the "actual president".
Bush resented that description and stated the connection was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a group of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, making him become determined on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty reports circulated by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It was the proper decision to do then. I was convinced then and I hold that view today."
However even then, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had composed a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (featuring "access to vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when cooperative measures prove impossible," specifically citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency generally inclined on implementing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his parent, 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 image of his father's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind invading Iraq, consistently quoting intelligence reports that were both insubstantial or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no useful information had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to capture the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the background that nobody ever sees come out of his domain? That is a nice way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Debate over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as vice-president. Even though he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US deals worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company grew from his previous salary when he was defence secretary to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling more than $20m|twenty
