The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was seen as one of the most significant incumbents of that office in American history. Although numerous second-in-commands were confined to peripheral or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly described as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
A Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the downing of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the government building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become determined on retaliation. Together with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Actions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on misleading reports repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It represented the proper decision to do then. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view now."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "availability of vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the White House somewhat determined on executing what his father 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 disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of lowering America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his predecessor's visage that everyone had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, repeatedly citing intelligence reports that were either weak or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney took pleasure in monikers given to him by detractors such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication 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 corner that operates invisibly leave his hole? It's a nice way to work, truthfully."
Business Interests
Debate over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. Even though he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts totaling substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the firm grew from his $258,394 when he was military head to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth in excess of $20m|twenty
