The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was considered among the most powerful holders of that position in US history. Although many second-in-commands were limited to marginal or symbolic functions, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "true president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and said the relationship was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, invariably calling him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it suggested that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the laidback president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.
A Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a group of conservative hawks that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a school in Florida. As Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the downing of any non-communicating planes heading toward the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, making him become intent on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.
Controversial Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the right thing to do then. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance now."
Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I saw, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and recklessness: at worst, deception, unfitness, and dishonesty."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had composed a memorandum detailing situations in which American interests might be endangered (including "availability of essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush additionally had assumed the presidency vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.
Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a scheme to murder his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's countenance that everyone had to tread upon.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were either thin or totally inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of waterboarding and physical pressure.
Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no useful information had come from the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to capture the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of credit."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a dark force controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees emerge from his domain? It's a nice way to work, truthfully."
Commercial Ties
Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as VP. While he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in military, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy corporations, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals worth multiple billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the firm increased from his quarter-million dollars when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty
