The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered among the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in US history. Whereas countless vice-presidents were confined to marginal or ceremonial functions, Cheney exercised huge power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "actual president".
Bush disliked this portrayal and said the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney viewed the relaxed president pliable on a whole raft of governmental choices.
The Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a group of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes nearing the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. Together with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Decisions
He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the enhanced interrogation of suspects captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on misleading information repeated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the right thing to do then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance presently."
However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum outlining scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (encompassing "obtaining crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, frequently referencing agency briefings that were whether thin or entirely misleading. He endorsed what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and torture.
Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames assigned to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees leave his domain? That is a effective way to operate, actually."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as second-in-command. Even though he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his period at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars while military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
