The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that office in American history. Whereas many second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or figurehead positions, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was courteous, consistently referring to him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it suggested that they were equals. Despite these objections, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a faction of neo-conservatives that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney said the strikes transformed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Along with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Policies
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the enhanced interrogation of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the right thing to do then. I had faith back then and I believe it today."
However even then, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: in the worst case, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memo detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House generally inclined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting intelligence reports that were both thin or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to catch the perpetrators who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees come out of his domain? That is a effective way to work, in fact."
Business Interests
Dispute over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US agreements valued at multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the corporation increased from his previous salary while Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling over $20m|twenty
