Ex- VP Dick Cheney: An Examination on His Influential Political Career

The deceased US VP Dick Cheney, who died at age 84, was regarded as arguably the most influential occupants of that office in the nation's history. Although countless vice-presidents were limited to marginal or ceremonial positions, Cheney held huge influence during the term of George W Bush, so much so that he was frequently called as the "true president".

Bush resented that description and said the dynamic was more complicated. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in public settings as Mr President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush questioned even descriptions of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. In spite of these denials, Cheney viewed the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of policy decisions.

The Aftermath of 9/11

In charge of a group of conservative hawks that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in answer to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a gathering at a educational institution in Florida. While Bush headed for a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, directing the downing of any non-communicating aircraft heading toward the US Capitol.

Cheney stated the attacks changed him, leading him to become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other neo-cons, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a occupation of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Controversial Policies

He voiced no apologies about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, or about the enhanced interrogation of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on inaccurate information echoed by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It was the proper decision to do then. I believed it then and I hold that view now."

But even at the time, there were opposing views at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the government's own delegates to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not retained from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he later wrote "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: potentially, lying, incompetence, and corruption."

Broader Context

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Prior to 9/11, Wolfowitz had pushed for comparable steps. He had drafted a document setting out situations in which national priorities might be compromised (including "access to vital raw materials, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the United States should be positioned to operate alone when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," specifically citing military moves against Iraq.

Bush also had entered the Oval Office vaguely intent on implementing what his parent had notably declined to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Subsequent to he had been sacked by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's engagement in the regional tensions and suggested defense operations against Iraq.

Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, convinced he had been involved in a conspiracy to kill his father, President George HW Bush, on a visit to Kuwait in 1993. He also objected to that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a floor mural with a image of his parent's visage that each person had to step on.

Investigation Approaches

However it was Cheney who was part of the most vociferous supporting attacking Iraq, frequently citing agency briefings that were either weak or completely deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the use of simulated drowning and physical pressure.

Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that determined that no valuable data had resulted from the torture, Cheney rejected the findings as "full of crap". He stated to Fox News: "We instructed [the CIA] to implement measures and establish initiatives to catch the individuals who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it never happened again. That is precisely what they did and they earn a lot of praise."

Public Persona

Cheney reveled in nicknames given to him by opponents such as the dark character and The Prince of Darkness, and by the notion that he was a dark force directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that nobody ever sees leave his lair? This represents a nice way to function, truthfully."

Corporate Connections

Debate over his business interests pursued him during his tenure as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in corporate affairs but good contacts in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum conglomerates, in 1995 as chair and CEO.

In 2000 he became Bush's running mate for the White House. Contentiously, during the Iraq war, Halliburton was given US contracts worth billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his period at the corporation grew from his quarter-million dollars when he was Pentagon chief to millions. When he left in 2000 he had a compensation package worth over $20m|twenty