One-time Second-in-Command Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Impactful Time in Office

The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered arguably the most influential holders of that office in American history. Although countless VPs were limited to peripheral or ceremonial functions, Cheney held huge sway during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often called as the "actual president".

Bush resented such a characterisation and stated the relationship was more complicated. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always calling him in public as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush disputed even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were equals. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

A Period Following the Attacks

Leading of a group of neo-conservatives that included defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the shooting down of any unresponsive planes heading toward the government building.

Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a occupation of Afghanistan in an endeavor to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Decisions

He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on faulty information repeated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the correct action to do back then. I had faith at the time and I maintain that stance now."

Yet even then, there were dissenting voices at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and corruption."

Wider Perspective

Cheney was not solely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had drafted a memorandum setting out situations in which US concerns might be endangered (including "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be postured to act independently when collective action prove impossible," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.

Bush additionally had arrived in the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his father had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been dismissed by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his intention of diminishing America's involvement in the regional tensions and mooted armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his parent, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore objected to that one of the largest hotels in Baghdad had a surface artwork with a portrait of his parent's visage that all visitors had to tread upon.

Questioning Techniques

But it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating attacking Iraq, repeatedly referencing agency briefings that were either insubstantial or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the use of waterboarding and harsh treatment.

Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that concluded that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the report as "loaded with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it never happened again. That was specifically what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."

Public Image

Cheney took pleasure in labels imposed on him by detractors such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the author's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the evil genius in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his hole? This represents a effective way to operate, truthfully."

Commercial Ties

Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him throughout his time as second-in-command. While he had little experience in corporate affairs but established relationships in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's biggest energy companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the White House. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling substantial sums.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the firm increased from his quarter-million dollars while defence secretary to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth over $20m|twenty