Former VP Dick Cheney: A Retrospective on the Influential Political Career

The deceased US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was regarded as one of the most influential incumbents of that position in US history. Although countless second-in-commands had to settle for minor or ceremonial positions, Cheney held huge influence during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was often called as the "actual president".

Bush disliked this portrayal and stated the relationship was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was deferential, invariably referring to him in public settings as the President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their relationship as a team because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of these objections, Cheney found the easygoing president malleable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

The Post-9/11 Era

At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any non-communicating airplanes approaching the US Capitol.

Cheney claimed the strikes altered his perspective, making him become intent on retaliation. Together with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he lobbied for a invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Debated Policies

He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis perished, and not about the waterboarding of individuals captured after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the proper course of action. "It was the proper decision to do then. I had faith at the time and I believe it presently."

Yet even at the time, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, as a baseline," he wrote later "true dereliction, carelessness, and unaccountability: in the worst case, falsehoods, unfitness, and dishonesty."

Additional Factors

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a document outlining situations in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "America should be prepared to take unilateral action when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically mentioning defense operations against Iraq.

Bush too had assumed the White House vaguely intent on implementing what his predecessor had famously refused to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been fired by the president, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill disclosed how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and mooted military action against Iraq.

Bush carried a private grievance against Saddam, thinking he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to step on.

Interrogation Methods

However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement behind attacking Iraq, frequently quoting information documents that were whether weak or completely deceptive. He backed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.

Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no valuable data had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and create procedures to apprehend the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it would not recur. That's exactly what they did and they deserve a lot of recognition."

External Perception

Cheney enjoyed monikers assigned to him by detractors such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In the author's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the shadows that operates invisibly come out of his hole? This represents a nice way to operate, truthfully."

Corporate Connections

Controversy over his business interests followed him during his tenure as vice-president. While he had little experience in business but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial petroleum companies, in 1995 as leader and CEO.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements valued at multiple billions.

It made him rich. His annual income during his tenure at the corporation increased from his $258,394 during his time as defence secretary to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a package valued at more than $20m|twenty