The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most influential holders of the vice-presidency in American history. Although many vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or figurehead functions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "true president".
Bush resented that description and said the connection was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was courteous, consistently addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney considered the laidback president accommodating on a whole raft of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
At the head of a group of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a session at a school in Florida. While Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any unresponsive airplanes approaching the US Capitol.
Cheney said the assaults transformed him, making him become intent on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate information circulated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance now."
Yet during that period, there were opposing views at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: potentially, deception, incompetence, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a memorandum detailing circumstances in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "obtaining essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically citing defense operations against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of diminishing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been behind a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, frequently citing intelligence reports that were both insubstantial or completely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and torture.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place procedures to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames assigned to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that remains unseen leave his lair? It's a advantageous way to function, actually."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It made him rich. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation grew from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at over $20m|twenty
