The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in American history. While countless vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or figurehead roles, Cheney exercised substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and claimed the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, consistently calling him in public settings as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their association as a team because it indicated that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a faction of conservative hawks that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.
Cheney stated the assaults altered his perspective, leading him to become determined on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Disputed Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the enhanced interrogation of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was based on faulty reports echoed by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I was convinced 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 representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: at worst, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Broader Context
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a memo outlining circumstances in which American interests might be compromised (featuring "availability of vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be positioned to act independently when collective action cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the White House somewhat determined on implementing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been sacked by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's face that all visitors had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was among the most vehement behind invading Iraq, consistently referencing information documents that were whether insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "enhanced interrogation", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."
External Perception
Cheney took pleasure in labels given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the corner that nobody ever sees emerge from his lair? It's a nice way to function, in fact."
Business Interests
Controversy over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as second-in-command. Even though he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy corporations, in 1995 as chair and top executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth billions.
It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company increased from his quarter-million dollars while Pentagon chief to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth more than $20m|twenty