Former Vice-President Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Impactful Political Career

The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was considered one of the most influential incumbents of that office in American history. Although numerous second-in-commands were limited to minor or figurehead roles, Cheney held substantial sway during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "real president".

Bush disliked such a characterisation and stated the connection was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in official appearances as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their association as a team because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of such protestations, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a broad range of governmental choices.

A Post-9/11 Era

Leading of a contingent of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the destruction of any non-communicating planes heading toward the government building.

Cheney said the strikes transformed him, leading him to become determined on revenge. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Decisions

He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the proper decision to do back then. I had faith then and I hold that view now."

However during that period, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, incompetence, and graft."

Broader Context

Cheney was not solely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a document outlining scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (encompassing "access to essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to act independently when joint efforts prove impossible," explicitly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.

Bush additionally had assumed the White House somewhat determined on executing what his father had specifically avoided to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of reducing America's participation in the regional tensions and suggested armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to step on.

Interrogation Methods

Yet it was Cheney who was among the most vociferous supporting striking Iraq, repeatedly referencing agency briefings that were either weak or totally misleading. He endorsed what the Bush White House politely called as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.

Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no useful information had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney disregarded the report as "full of crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to capture the individuals who took the lives of 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of credit."

Public Persona

Cheney enjoyed nicknames imposed on him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the pair, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees come out of his hole? This represents a advantageous way to function, actually."

Corporate Connections

Dispute over his corporate affiliations accompanied him throughout his time as vice-president. Even though he had little experience in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy conglomerates, in 1995 as leader and CEO.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals valued at substantial sums.

It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his time at the firm rose from his previous salary during his time as Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at over $20m|twenty