Former Second-in-Command Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Impactful Time in Office

The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential occupants of that position in the nation's history. Whereas countless VPs were confined to marginal or figurehead roles, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "real president".

Bush resented this portrayal and said the dynamic was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in official appearances as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.

A Post-9/11 Era

At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unidentified aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.

Cheney stated the attacks altered his perspective, making him become determined on retaliation. Together with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Debated Policies

He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the waterboarding of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the correct decision. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I believe it now."

Yet even then, there were opposing views at a senior level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the position. "I observed, at a minimum," he wrote later "obvious failure, inaction, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, incompetence, and dishonesty."

Broader Context

Cheney was not completely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing circumstances in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "availability of vital raw materials, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," explicitly referencing armed actions against Iraq.

Bush too had entered the White House vaguely intent on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of reducing America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and suggested military action against Iraq.

Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced 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 accommodations in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a image of his predecessor's visage that each person had to walk over.

Investigation Approaches

However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous behind attacking Iraq, consistently referencing agency briefings that were either thin or totally inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.

Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and create initiatives to apprehend the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."

Public Image

Cheney reveled in labels given to him by opponents such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a shadow power manipulating Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that operates invisibly emerge from his lair? That is a advantageous way to function, in fact."

Business Interests

Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him through his period as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but established relationships in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was awarded US deals worth multiple billions.

It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the company rose from his previous salary when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth in excess of $20m|twenty