Ex- Vice-President Dick Cheney: An Examination on His Impactful Political Career

The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was considered among the most influential incumbents of that office in US history. Although numerous VPs had to settle for marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised enormous influence during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often referred to as the "actual president".

Bush objected to such a characterisation and claimed the relationship was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was deferential, consistently addressing him in public settings as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush disputed even characterisations of their partnership as a team because it implied that they were equals. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the easygoing president malleable on a broad range of administrative determinations.

The Aftermath of 9/11

At the head of a faction of neo-cons that included Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the armed incursion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, ordering the downing of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.

Cheney said the strikes transformed him, leading him to become determined on revenge. Along with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein being involved.

Disputed Actions

He expressed no regrets about the military campaign, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, or about the waterboarding of detainees captured after 9/11. He told CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was founded on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the proper path to take. "It was the right thing to do then. I had faith at the time and I believe it now."

But even at the time, there were dissenting voices at a senior level about the poor management of Iraq. One of the government's own representatives to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the role. "I observed, as a baseline," he subsequently stated "true dereliction, negligence, and unaccountability: potentially, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."

Broader Context

Cheney was not completely to blame for the Iraq campaign. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had written a memo outlining situations in which national priorities might be compromised (encompassing "availability of crucial commodities, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be prepared to act independently when joint efforts cannot be arranged," explicitly citing military moves against Iraq.

Bush also had entered the Oval Office generally inclined on executing what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his objective of reducing America's involvement in the regional tensions and proposed defense operations against Iraq.

Bush bore a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the largest accommodations in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's face that each person had to tread upon.

Interrogation Methods

However it was Cheney who was part of the most vehement supporting invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting agency briefings that were whether weak or entirely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush administration indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the employment of interrogation method and physical pressure.

Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had come from the torture, Cheney rejected the conclusions as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to take steps and establish initiatives to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they merit a lot of credit."

Public Persona

Cheney took pleasure in labels assigned to him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a shadow power controlling Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Do I represent the sinister strategist in the corner that nobody ever sees leave his lair? That is a advantageous way to work, truthfully."

Corporate Connections

Dispute over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as VP. While he had limited background in commerce but established relationships in military, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial energy companies, in 1995 as leader and chief executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the presidency. Contentiously, during the military campaign, Halliburton was given US deals totaling multiple billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his period at the corporation grew from his previous salary during his time as military head to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling over $20m|twenty