Ex- Second-in-Command Dick Cheney: An Examination on the Impactful Political Career

The former US VP Dick Cheney, who passed away at age 84, was seen as one of the most powerful incumbents of the vice-presidency in American history. While countless second-in-commands had to settle for marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held substantial power during the term of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "true president".

Bush resented this portrayal and said the relationship was more complex. He pointed out that Cheney was courteous, always addressing him in official appearances as President, while he addressed him as Dick. Bush disputed even descriptions of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these denials, Cheney considered the relaxed president malleable on a wide array of governmental choices.

A Post-9/11 Era

In charge of a group of conservative hawks that encompassed defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he pushed hard for the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. When of the 9/11 strike, Bush had been taking part in a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. As Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney assumed control, directing the downing of any unidentified airplanes approaching the Capitol building.

Cheney claimed the strikes transformed him, causing him to be focused on retribution. Together with other conservative figures, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a takeover of Afghanistan in an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the military action of Iraq, although there was little proof of Saddam Hussein playing a role.

Debated Policies

He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an estimated 100,000 Iraqis perished, nor about the harsh treatment of individuals rounded up after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was based on inaccurate intelligence repeated by Cheney, was the right course of action. "It represented the correct action to do at that time. I was convinced then and I believe it presently."

Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the mishandling of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the area, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I witnessed, as a baseline," he later wrote "true dereliction, negligence, and recklessness: potentially, lying, ineptitude, and graft."

Wider Perspective

Cheney was not entirely accountable for the Iraq invasion. Before 9/11, Wolfowitz had called for similar measures. He had drafted a document outlining situations in which national priorities might be threatened (encompassing "access to essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had asserted that "the United States should be postured to act independently when cooperative measures cannot be arranged," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.

Bush also had arrived in the presidency somewhat determined on carrying out what his parent had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Following he had been dismissed by the administration, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the first meeting of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had stated his intention of lowering America's participation in the regional tensions and mooted defense operations against Iraq.

Bush held a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to murder his parent, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent hotels in Baghdad had a ground design with a likeness of his predecessor's visage that all visitors had to step on.

Investigation Approaches

However it was Cheney who was one of the most vehement behind invading Iraq, consistently citing information documents that were either insubstantial or entirely deceptive. He supported what the Bush administration politely called as "enhanced interrogation", the application of simulated drowning and physical pressure.

Addressing a Senate report in 2014 that found that no actionable intelligence had resulted from the harsh techniques, Cheney dismissed the findings as "riddled with crap". He told Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish procedures to capture the bastards who took the lives of 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."

External Perception

Cheney enjoyed labels assigned to him by opponents such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 book about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is quoted as saying: "Is it me who is the evil genius in the background that operates invisibly come out of his hole? It's a effective way to function, in fact."

Business Interests

Controversy over his business interests pursued him through his period as second-in-command. While he had limited background in corporate affairs but strong connections in defence, notably in Saudi Arabia, he was asked to become part of Halliburton, one of the world's largest energy companies, in 1995 as chair and chief executive.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the White House. Debatably, during the military campaign, Halliburton was granted US deals valued at billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His yearly earnings during his tenure at the corporation rose from his previous salary while Pentagon chief to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling in excess of $20m|twenty