Ex- Second-in-Command Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Powerful Time in Office

The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most influential holders of the vice-presidency in US history. Whereas many vice-presidents were confined to peripheral or ceremonial roles, Cheney wielded substantial influence during the administration of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently described as the "actual president".

Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the connection was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, consistently calling him in public settings as President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even characterisations of their partnership as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite such protestations, Cheney found the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

A Period Following the Attacks

In charge of a faction of conservative hawks that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion 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 participating in a session at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, commanding the downing of any unresponsive aircraft nearing the US Capitol.

Cheney stated the assaults changed him, making him become intent on revenge. Together with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein playing a role.

Controversial Policies

He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on inaccurate intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the right decision. "It was the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance presently."

Yet during that period, there were opposing views at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the role. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "clear negligence, negligence, and unaccountability: at worst, lying, ineptitude, and dishonesty."

Broader Context

Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for similar measures. He had drafted a memorandum outlining scenarios in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "access to vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," explicitly citing armed actions against Iraq.

Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; remove Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired 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 announced his plan of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and mooted military action against Iraq.

Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a scheme to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally resented that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a portrait of his father's countenance that everyone had to step on.

Questioning Techniques

However it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken behind striking Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were either thin or totally inaccurate. He endorsed what the Bush White House euphemistically referred to as "advanced techniques", the employment of simulated drowning and physical pressure.

Answering a Senate analysis in 2014 that found that no useful information had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."

External Perception

Cheney reveled in monikers given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In Peter Baker's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the background that remains unseen come out of his hole? That is a effective way to operate, truthfully."

Corporate Connections

Dispute over his commercial relationships accompanied him during his tenure as VP. While he had minimal expertise in business but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy corporations, in 1995 as leader and top executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was given US contracts valued at multiple billions.

It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his period at the corporation rose from his previous salary while Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package valued at over $20m|twenty