The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential occupants of the vice-presidency in American history. While numerous second-in-commands were limited to peripheral or ceremonial positions, Cheney held enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, to the point that he was often referred to as the "true president".
Bush resented such a characterisation and claimed the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in public settings as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Despite such protestations, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Post-9/11 Era
At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unresponsive planes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on retaliation. Along with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Decisions
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do then. I had faith back then and I believe it today."
Yet even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, at a minimum," he later wrote "obvious failure, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a document setting out scenarios in which national priorities might be endangered (including "access to crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the finance chief 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 Middle East dispute and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a plot to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a likeness of his predecessor's face that everyone had to walk over.
Interrogation Methods
Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind striking Iraq, frequently citing agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or totally misleading. He endorsed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Answering a Senate document in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to apprehend the bastards who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in labels assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the shadows that remains unseen leave his domain? It's a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests pursued him throughout his time as vice-president. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals worth billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his period at the company grew from his previous salary when he was military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty
