The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was considered one of the most powerful holders of that office in the nation's history. Whereas many second-in-commands were limited to peripheral or symbolic roles, Cheney wielded enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "actual president".
Bush objected to that description and stated the relationship was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, consistently addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney viewed the relaxed president accommodating on a wide array of governmental choices.
A Period Following the Attacks
At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the destruction of any unidentified aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the attacks changed him, causing him to be focused on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Controversial Policies
He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the enhanced interrogation of detainees captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on inaccurate intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the correct action to do at that time. I had faith then and I maintain that stance today."
Yet even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, negligence, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, ineptitude, and corruption."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum setting out circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the Oval Office generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his plan of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.
Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's visage that everyone had to step on.
Interrogation Methods
But it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were either insubstantial or totally misleading. He supported what the Bush administration indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the torture, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and put in place initiatives to capture the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Image
Cheney took pleasure in nicknames assigned to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the evil genius in the background that remains unseen leave his hole? That is a effective way to work, in fact."
Corporate Connections
Controversy over his business interests followed him through his period as vice-president. Although he had little experience in business but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.
In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his period at the firm grew from his $258,394 during his time as military head to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at in excess of $20m|twenty
