The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most powerful holders of that office in American history. Whereas numerous VPs were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney held enormous sway during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "actual president".
Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in public as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
A Post-9/11 Era
In charge of a group of conservative hawks that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any non-communicating airplanes heading toward the government building.
Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, 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 little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the correct course of action. "It represented the correct action to do back then. I believed it at the time and I hold that view presently."
However even then, there were opposing views at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, at the very least," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, carelessness, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, unfitness, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum outlining situations in which national priorities might be threatened (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly citing armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a conspiracy to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his parent's countenance that each person had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
However it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken behind attacking Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were whether thin or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush White House politely called as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to capture 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 earn a lot of credit."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames assigned to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his domain? This represents a effective way to work, actually."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had little experience in commerce but good contacts in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his time at the firm increased from his $258,394 when he was defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling more than $20m|twenty
