The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered among the most significant holders of that position in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents had to settle for peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney exercised enormous sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the dynamic was more complex. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a group of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the downing of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Decisions
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I believe it today."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a document outlining scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (including "access to crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a plot to kill his predecessor, 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 surface artwork with a portrait of his father's face that all visitors had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken supporting attacking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were whether thin or completely deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had come from the torture, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to catch the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book 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 shadows that operates invisibly emerge from his domain? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his period at the company increased from his quarter-million dollars while defence secretary to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
