Former VP Dick Cheney: An Examination on the Powerful Time in Office

The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as among the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in American history. Although countless VPs were confined to marginal or ceremonial positions, Cheney wielded huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "actual president".

Bush disliked this portrayal and said the connection was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it indicated that they were equals. Despite these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.

A Aftermath of 9/11

In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the Capitol building.

Cheney stated the attacks transformed him, causing him to be determined on retribution. Together with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the invasion of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Decisions

He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, or about the waterboarding of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on misleading intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith then and I believe it now."

But even then, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the role. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, carelessness, and unaccountability: potentially, deception, unfitness, and graft."

Additional Factors

Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had drafted a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (featuring "obtaining crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures prove impossible," explicitly citing military moves against Iraq.

Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been fired by the administration, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of reducing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, thinking he had been responsible for a conspiracy to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the most prominent accommodations in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his father's countenance that all visitors had to step on.

Interrogation Methods

But it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting invading Iraq, frequently citing intelligence reports that were both insubstantial or totally deceptive. He supported what the Bush White House politely called as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and physical pressure.

Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the torture, Cheney disregarded the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish initiatives to capture 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 deserve a lot of credit."

Public Image

Cheney enjoyed labels assigned to him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the shadows that operates invisibly leave his domain? This represents a advantageous way to work, in fact."

Corporate Connections

Dispute over his business interests pursued him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had little experience in business but good contacts in security, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chairman and CEO.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the White House. Controversially, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals worth substantial sums.

It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation grew from his quarter-million dollars while defence secretary to $4.4m. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling more than $20m|twenty