Ex- VP Dick Cheney: A Look Back on His Influential Political Career

The late US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as one of the most powerful holders of that position in US history. Whereas many VPs were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney held huge power during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often called as the "actual president".

Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the relationship was more complex. He noted that Cheney was respectful, always referring to him in public as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were peers. Despite these objections, Cheney found the relaxed president accommodating on a wide array of administrative determinations.

The Aftermath of 9/11

Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been taking part in a gathering at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush traveled to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the shooting down of any unidentified aircraft approaching the government building.

Cheney said the strikes altered his perspective, making him become focused on retaliation. In conjunction with other neo-cons, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Debated Decisions

He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of individuals captured after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was founded on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance now."

However even at the time, there were opposing views at a senior level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the White House's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, inaction, and irresponsibility: potentially, lying, incompetence, and corruption."

Wider Perspective

Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for such action. He had written a memorandum setting out circumstances in which US concerns might be compromised (including "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the US should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be arranged," particularly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.

Bush additionally had assumed the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the administration, the finance chief Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of diminishing America's participation in the Middle East dispute and mooted defense operations against Iraq.

Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally objected to that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his parent's countenance that everyone had to step on.

Interrogation Methods

But it was Cheney who was among the most outspoken advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were both weak or entirely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush White House politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.

Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the report as "full of crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."

Public Image

Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by detractors such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the concept that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the malevolent mastermind in the corner that remains unseen emerge from his lair? It's a effective way to function, in fact."

Corporate Connections

Dispute over his business interests accompanied him through his period as VP. Even though he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the White House. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US deals valued at substantial sums.

It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the firm increased from his $258,394 when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package worth more than $20m|twenty