The late US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most significant occupants of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas many VPs were limited to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded huge power during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was often referred to as the "real president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and claimed the connection was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was courteous, consistently calling him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a team because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney considered the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the assaults altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Debated Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the waterboarding of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had composed a memorandum outlining situations in which American interests might be endangered (encompassing "availability of vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the presidency generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's visage that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous supporting striking Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were whether insubstantial or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and create initiatives to apprehend the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that remains unseen leave his hole? That is a advantageous way to function, truthfully."
Business Interests
Debate over his business interests pursued him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars while defence secretary to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
