The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was considered one of the most powerful occupants of that position in American history. Although numerous second-in-commands had to settle for minor or symbolic positions, Cheney exercised enormous power during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly called as the "actual president".
Bush resented that description and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was courteous, consistently calling him in official appearances as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their partnership as a collaboration because it indicated that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a whole raft of policy decisions.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney claimed the attacks altered his perspective, causing him to be focused on retaliation. Together with other conservative figures, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.
Disputed Actions
He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the waterboarding of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was predicated on inaccurate reports echoed by Cheney, was the right decision. "It proved to be the correct action to do then. I had faith then and I hold that view now."
But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not entirely responsible for the Iraq campaign. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memorandum detailing scenarios in which American interests might be compromised (including "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush also had entered the presidency vaguely intent on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of lowering America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a conspiracy to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also resented that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his father's visage that all visitors had to step on.
Questioning Techniques
However it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating attacking Iraq, consistently citing intelligence reports that were both thin or completely misleading. He supported what the Bush government indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the employment of waterboarding and torture.
Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the report as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place initiatives to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in nicknames assigned to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a dark force directing 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: "Do I represent the evil genius in the shadows that nobody ever sees leave his hole? This represents a advantageous way to operate, truthfully."
Business Interests
Dispute over his commercial relationships followed him throughout his time as vice-president. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but established relationships in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.
In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling billions.
It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the corporation increased from his previous salary during his time as military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth in excess of $20m|twenty
