The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most significant holders of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas numerous VPs had to settle for marginal or ceremonial positions, Cheney held substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was often described as the "real president".
Bush objected to that description and stated the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, invariably referring to him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney said the strikes transformed him, making him become determined on revenge. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals 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 represented the correct action to do then. I had faith back then and I hold that view presently."
Yet even then, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and recklessness: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (encompassing "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's face that each person had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were either thin or completely misleading. He backed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had come from the torture, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in monikers assigned to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that remains unseen come out of his lair? That is a effective way to work, truthfully."
Business Interests
Dispute over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had little experience in corporate affairs but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US agreements worth substantial sums.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company grew from his previous salary when he was military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
