The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of that office in the nation's history. Although many vice-presidents were limited to marginal or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised enormous sway during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and claimed the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a contingent of conservative hawks that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a session at a school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the downing of any unidentified planes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Along with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Policies
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on misleading information circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the correct action to do then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance presently."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a document detailing circumstances in which American interests might be endangered (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to operate alone when collective action cannot be orchestrated," explicitly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his father's countenance that each person had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were whether thin or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the application of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no valuable data had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in monikers assigned to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his domain? That is a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the company rose from his quarter-million dollars while defence secretary to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth over $20m|twenty
