One-time Vice-President Dick Cheney: An Examination on the Powerful Time in Office

The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was seen as arguably the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas numerous second-in-commands were confined to minor or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised enormous sway during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was often referred to as the "real president".

Bush resented such a characterisation and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably addressing him in official appearances as President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were peers. In spite of these objections, Cheney considered the laidback president malleable on a whole raft of governmental choices.

The Aftermath of 9/11

At the head of a faction of neo-conservatives that encompassed military head Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a session at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush made his way to a secure location in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the downing of any non-communicating airplanes heading toward the US Capitol.

Cheney said the strikes changed him, causing him to be determined on retribution. Along with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Actions

He showed no remorse about the invasion, 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 invasion, which was founded on inaccurate reports repeated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It proved to be the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced back then and I maintain that stance today."

But during that period, there were opposing views at a top tier about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: at worst, lying, unfitness, and dishonesty."

Additional Factors

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memo setting out scenarios in which US concerns might be endangered (including "availability of essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be postured to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.

Bush too had arrived in the Oval Office generally inclined on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.

Bush carried a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to kill his parent, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the largest establishments in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to step on.

Interrogation Methods

But it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous advocating striking Iraq, frequently citing information documents that were whether thin or entirely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.

Responding to a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish programmes to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of praise."

Public Persona

Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker'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 remains unseen leave his lair? That is a nice way to function, truthfully."

Corporate Connections

Debate over his commercial relationships accompanied him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had little experience in commerce but established relationships in defence, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's largest oil and gas conglomerates, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the presidency. Debatably, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was granted US contracts totaling multiple billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars during his time as military head to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth in excess of $20m|twenty