One-time Vice-President Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Powerful Political Career

The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was regarded as among the most powerful holders of that position in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents were confined to minor or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised substantial sway during the administration of George W Bush, to the point that he was commonly called as the "true president".

Bush disliked such a characterisation and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always addressing him in public settings as the President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were peers. In spite of these denials, Cheney found the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of administrative determinations.

A Post-9/11 Era

In charge of a group of neo-cons that featured military head Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in response to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, directing the shooting down of any unresponsive aircraft heading toward the government building.

Cheney claimed the assaults altered his perspective, making him become focused on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, such as Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Controversial Policies

He showed no remorse about the military campaign, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, and not about the waterboarding of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was based on misleading intelligence circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It represented the correct action to do back then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance now."

But even then, there were contrary opinions at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own special envoys to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I witnessed, at the very least," he later wrote "true dereliction, inaction, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, incompetence, and dishonesty."

Broader Context

Cheney was not completely responsible for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had written a document outlining situations in which US concerns might be endangered (featuring "obtaining essential resources, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "America should be postured to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.

Bush too had entered the Oval Office somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. After he had been sacked by the White House, the finance chief Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of reducing America's participation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mooted military action against Iraq.

Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his father's face that everyone had to tread upon.

Investigation Approaches

Yet it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind striking Iraq, frequently quoting intelligence reports that were either weak or entirely inaccurate. He supported what the Bush government euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of interrogation method and torture.

Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney rejected the findings as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to implement measures and put in place procedures to apprehend the bastards who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it was not repeated. That's exactly what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."

Public Image

Cheney reveled in monikers imposed on him by critics such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a dark force manipulating Bush. In Peter Baker'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 sinister strategist in the corner that remains unseen leave his hole? This represents a effective way to work, actually."

Business Interests

Dispute over his business interests accompanied him during his tenure as second-in-command. While he had little experience in corporate affairs but good contacts in military, especially 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 was selected as Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US deals valued at billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the company rose from his quarter-million dollars while military head to over four million. When he departed in 2000 he had a compensation package valued at more than $20m|twenty