The former US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as among the most influential holders of that position in US history. While countless second-in-commands were confined to marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "real president".
Bush resented this portrayal and said the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently addressing him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their relationship as a team because it indicated that they were equals. Regardless of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president accommodating on a wide array of policy decisions.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a group of neo-cons that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the destruction of any non-communicating aircraft approaching the government building.
Cheney claimed the attacks changed him, making him become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Debated Policies
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I had faith then and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: in the worst case, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a document detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "obtaining vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for 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 father's visage that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were both thin or entirely inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that operates invisibly come out of his domain? This represents a nice way to operate, in fact."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his period at the company grew from his previous salary when he was military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
