One-time VP Dick Cheney: A Retrospective on the Impactful Time in Office
The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was considered one of the most influential holders of that position in American history. Whereas many vice-presidents were limited to minor or figurehead positions, Cheney wielded enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "actual president".
Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the dynamic was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in public as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney found the laidback president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.
The Aftermath of 9/11
Leading of a contingent of neo-conservatives that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been attending a session at a school in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unresponsive planes approaching the Capitol building.
Cheney stated the assaults transformed him, making him become focused on retribution. Along with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.
Disputed Policies
He showed no remorse about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the harsh treatment of detainees apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do then. I had faith then and I believe it 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 Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and recklessness: potentially, lying, incompetence, and graft."
Additional Factors
Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for such action. He had written a memorandum setting out scenarios in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," specifically mentioning armed actions against Iraq.
Bush too had assumed the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his plan of reducing America's engagement in the regional tensions and proposed military action against Iraq.
Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a conspiracy to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's face that each person had to walk over.
Investigation Approaches
But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting attacking Iraq, consistently referencing agency briefings that were both insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration politely called as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.
Addressing a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place procedures to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they merit a lot of praise."
Public Image
Cheney reveled in labels imposed on him by detractors such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Am I the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his hole? This represents a nice way to work, in fact."
Business Interests
Controversy over his business interests followed him throughout his time as VP. Although he had little experience in commerce but strong connections in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and top executive.
In 2000 he became Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US deals totaling multiple billions.
It made him rich. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the corporation increased from his quarter-million dollars while military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement valued at in excess of $20m|twenty