The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most influential holders of that office in American history. While countless second-in-commands were limited to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held substantial sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly described as the "true president".
Bush objected to this portrayal and said the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always addressing him in public as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a team because it implied that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the easygoing president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Post-9/11 Era
In charge 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 reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the downing of any unidentified aircraft nearing the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, making him become intent on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Policies
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the enhanced interrogation of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate information repeated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do at that time. I believed it back then and I maintain that stance today."
But even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: at worst, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."
Wider Perspective
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum setting out circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "access to essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly citing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his predecessor's countenance that each person had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous behind striking Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were either insubstantial or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had come from the torture, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by opponents such as the dark character and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his lair? This represents a nice way to function, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Dispute over his business interests pursued him through his period as VP. Even though he had limited background in commerce but strong connections in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company rose from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling over $20m|twenty
