The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in US history. While many vice-presidents had to settle for minor or ceremonial positions, Cheney held substantial sway during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, invariably referring to him in public settings as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the destruction of any unidentified airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney said the strikes changed him, leading him to become intent on retaliation. In conjunction with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I was convinced at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he wrote later "clear negligence, carelessness, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, unfitness, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum detailing circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (including "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the president, 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 reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's countenance that everyone had to walk over.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing agency briefings that were either insubstantial or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed monikers imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees emerge from his domain? It's a effective way to function, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as vice-president. While he had little experience in corporate affairs but good contacts in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation grew from his previous salary while military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
