Ex- VP Dick Cheney: A Look Back on the Impactful Government Service

The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was regarded as among the most significant incumbents of that office in the nation's history. Whereas countless second-in-commands were confined to minor or symbolic roles, Cheney exercised enormous power during the presidency of George W Bush, so much so that he was often described as the "true president".

Bush objected to this portrayal and said the relationship was more nuanced. He pointed out that Cheney was deferential, always referring to him in public as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush challenged even portrayals of their association as a collaboration because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these objections, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a whole raft of policy decisions.

A Period Following the Attacks

Leading of a group of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. As Bush traveled to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took command, ordering the destruction of any unresponsive airplanes approaching the US Capitol.

Cheney stated the strikes altered his perspective, causing him to be intent on retaliation. Along with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a takeover of Afghanistan in an effort to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.

Controversial Decisions

He expressed no regrets about the invasion, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, nor about the harsh treatment of suspects apprehended after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on faulty intelligence echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the proper decision to do then. I had faith at the time and I hold that view now."

However even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own special envoys to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, carelessness, and recklessness: at worst, deception, incompetence, and corruption."

Wider Perspective

Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq campaign. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for comparable steps. He had drafted a document detailing scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "availability of essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to operate alone when cooperative measures cannot be orchestrated," particularly mentioning defense operations against Iraq.

Bush also had entered the presidency generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been fired by the administration, 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 diminishing America's engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggested military action against Iraq.

Bush bore a personal grudge against Saddam, convinced he had been behind a plot to kill his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He additionally disliked that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's face that everyone had to walk over.

Questioning Techniques

However it was Cheney who was one of the most vociferous advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly referencing information documents that were both insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of interrogation method and torture.

Answering a Senate report in 2014 that found that no valuable data had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the findings as "loaded with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and establish procedures to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."

Public Persona

Cheney enjoyed nicknames given to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees emerge from his lair? It's a nice way to work, actually."

Business Interests

Controversy over his corporate affiliations accompanied him during his tenure as second-in-command. While he had minimal expertise in business but good contacts in military, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's largest petroleum corporations, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's VP candidate for the executive branch. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth multiple billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation increased from his previous salary during his time as military head to millions. When he departed in 2000 he had a package totaling over $20m|twenty