Ex- VP Dick Cheney: An Examination on His Influential Time in Office

The former US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most influential holders of that office in the nation's history. Although many VPs were limited to peripheral or ceremonial functions, Cheney held enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was frequently referred to as the "true president".

Bush resented this portrayal and claimed the dynamic was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it suggested that they were peers. In spite of such protestations, Cheney viewed the easygoing president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.

The Post-9/11 Era

At the head of a faction of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a session at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, commanding the shooting down of any unidentified aircraft approaching the Capitol building.

Cheney said the attacks altered his perspective, leading him to become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then pressed fiercely for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Policies

He voiced no apologies about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on faulty information echoed by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It proved to be the proper decision to do back then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance today."

However during that period, there were dissenting voices at a top tier about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the position. "I saw, at the very least," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: potentially, deception, ineptitude, and dishonesty."

Additional Factors

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum outlining situations in which American interests might be threatened (featuring "access to crucial commodities, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be postured to operate alone when collective action cannot be arranged," specifically referencing defense operations against Iraq.

Bush additionally had entered the White House generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey 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 each person had to step on.

Questioning Techniques

Yet it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement advocating striking Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were either thin or completely inaccurate. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and torture.

Responding to a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney rejected the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to apprehend the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they merit a lot of credit."

Public Image

Cheney took pleasure in nicknames imposed on him by critics such as Darth Vader and the sinister presence, and by the concept that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the two, 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 operates invisibly come out of his domain? It's a advantageous way to function, actually."

Business Interests

Debate over his commercial relationships pursued him through his period as VP. While he had minimal expertise in corporate affairs but strong connections in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's running mate for the presidency. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US deals totaling billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly compensation during his time at the corporation increased from his previous salary while defence secretary to $4.4m. When he resigned in 2000 he had a package worth in excess of $20m|twenty