The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most powerful occupants of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. While numerous second-in-commands were confined to minor or figurehead positions, Cheney held substantial power during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, invariably addressing him in public as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any unidentified planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, leading him to become intent on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Debated Policies
He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."
Yet during that period, there were opposing views at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had composed a memorandum detailing scenarios in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be prepared to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been fired by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's countenance that everyone had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind invading Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were whether insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to catch the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that nobody ever sees leave his hole? That is a nice way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as vice-president. Although he had little experience in commerce but good contacts in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the company rose from his previous salary during his time as military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty
