The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was considered one of the most powerful incumbents of that office in American history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were limited to minor or ceremonial functions, Cheney wielded substantial power during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney considered the laidback president pliable on a wide array of policy decisions.
The Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a school in Florida. While Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any non-communicating aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the waterboarding of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on misleading reports echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do back then. I was convinced then and I believe it today."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had written a memo outlining circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (featuring "availability of essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be positioned to act independently when collective action prove impossible," specifically mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been dismissed 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 announced his objective of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his predecessor's visage that each person had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken behind invading Iraq, consistently quoting information documents that were whether thin or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and create initiatives to catch the perpetrators who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the corner that operates invisibly emerge from his lair? This represents a nice way to function, actually."
Business Interests
Controversy over his business interests accompanied him through his period as VP. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts worth billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his period at the company increased from his $258,394 while military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty
