The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Although numerous second-in-commands had to settle for peripheral or symbolic functions, Cheney wielded huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "real president".
Bush resented that description and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these objections, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.
The Aftermath of 9/11
In charge of a faction of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the downing of any unidentified airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney claimed the strikes changed him, causing him to be focused on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It proved to be the right thing to do then. I was convinced then and I believe it now."
However even then, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and irresponsibility: potentially, falsehoods, ineptitude, and corruption."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had drafted a memo setting out scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "obtaining vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be prepared to act independently when collective action prove impossible," explicitly referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush too had entered the White House generally inclined on implementing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been responsible for a scheme to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's face that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, consistently citing information documents that were either insubstantial or entirely misleading. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the application of waterboarding and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no useful information had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and put in place procedures to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney enjoyed nicknames assigned to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his lair? That is a effective way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Debate over his business interests followed him during his tenure as VP. Even though he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling multiple billions.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm increased from his previous salary when he was defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty
