Former Vice-President Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Influential Time in Office

The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential incumbents of that position in American history. Whereas countless second-in-commands were confined to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney held substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was commonly called as the "actual president".

Bush objected to that description and said the dynamic was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their relationship as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

The Period Following the Attacks

Leading of a faction of neo-conservatives that included military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the US Capitol.

Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, leading him to become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.

Disputed Policies

He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the waterboarding of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on faulty intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do then. I had faith back then and I hold that view presently."

Yet even then, there were opposing views at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, lying, incompetence, and graft."

Wider Perspective

Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a document outlining circumstances in which national priorities might be endangered (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," particularly mentioning military moves against Iraq.

Bush additionally had entered the presidency somewhat determined on implementing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's countenance that everyone had to step on.

Questioning Techniques

But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, repeatedly citing information documents that were either thin or entirely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of waterboarding and physical pressure.

Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create procedures to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of praise."

Public Persona

Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Do I represent the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his lair? This represents a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."

Business Interests

Dispute over his commercial relationships accompanied him during his tenure as vice-president. Although he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US contracts worth billions.

It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company rose from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling in excess of $20m|twenty