The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as one of the most significant occupants of that position in American history. While numerous second-in-commands were confined to marginal or symbolic positions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "actual president".
Bush disliked such a characterisation and said the dynamic was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Period Following the Attacks
In charge of a contingent of conservative hawks that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be intent on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Debated Actions
He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the harsh treatment of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I was convinced at the time and I hold that view today."
But even at the time, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."
Broader Context
Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a document outlining circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (featuring "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "America should be positioned to take unilateral action when collective action cannot be orchestrated," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.
Bush also had assumed the Oval Office vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been fired by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of lowering America's participation in the Middle East dispute and suggested military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his predecessor's face that all visitors had to step on.
Investigation Approaches
However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken supporting striking Iraq, consistently citing agency briefings that were whether thin or totally inaccurate. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of interrogation method and harsh treatment.
Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the findings as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to catch the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."
Public Persona
Cheney reveled in nicknames imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees emerge from his lair? This represents a nice way to work, actually."
Corporate Connections
Dispute over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as second-in-command. While he had little experience in commerce but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US agreements totaling substantial sums.
It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the firm increased from his $258,394 while military head to $4.4m. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty
