The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential occupants of that position in the nation's history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were limited to marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded huge power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush disliked that description and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the shooting down of any non-communicating planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, 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 circulated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It proved to be the right thing to do back then. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance presently."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (including "access to vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be positioned to operate alone when cooperative measures prove impossible," explicitly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's face that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were whether insubstantial or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
External Perception
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that operates invisibly leave his hole? This represents a effective way to work, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships followed him through his period as vice-president. Even though he had minimal expertise in business but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the White House. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at substantial sums.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his time at the corporation increased from his previous salary during his time as military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
