Former VP Dick Cheney: A Retrospective on His Impactful Time in Office

The deceased US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at age 84, was seen as among the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in US history. While many second-in-commands were confined to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised substantial power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was commonly described as the "actual president".

Bush resented this portrayal and stated the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

The Period Following the Attacks

At the head of a faction of neo-conservatives that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the shooting down of any unresponsive airplanes heading toward the Capitol building.

Cheney claimed the strikes changed him, leading him to become intent on retaliation. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.

Debated Policies

He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the enhanced interrogation of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty reports echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the right thing to do at that time. I had faith then and I hold that view now."

However even then, there were opposing views at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I witnessed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, inaction, and irresponsibility: at worst, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."

Broader Context

Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a memo outlining scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (featuring "availability of crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.

Bush additionally had arrived in the White House somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his objective of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested military action against Iraq.

Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a scheme to murder his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.

Questioning Techniques

However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, consistently citing agency briefings that were both weak or totally inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.

Answering a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of credit."

External Perception

Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by opponents such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a dark force directing Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 book about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the background that remains unseen come out of his domain? That is a nice way to work, truthfully."

Commercial Ties

Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him during his tenure as VP. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and top executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at substantial sums.

It significantly boosted his finances. His annual income during his time at the company rose from his $258,394 during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty