One-time VP Dick Cheney: An Examination on the Impactful Political Career

The late US VP Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, was seen as arguably the most influential holders of the vice-presidency in American history. Whereas many second-in-commands were limited to marginal or ceremonial roles, Cheney exercised huge influence during the administration of George W Bush, to such an extent that he was often described as the "true president".

Bush objected to this portrayal and said the connection was more complicated. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably calling him in official appearances as Mr President, while he referred to him as Dick. Bush questioned even characterisations of their partnership as a partnership because it suggested that they were on equal footing. Regardless of these denials, Cheney considered the easygoing president accommodating on a whole raft of policy decisions.

The Aftermath of 9/11

Leading of a contingent of neo-cons that featured defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld and deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, he vigorously promoted the invasion of Iraq in 2003 in reaction to the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington. At the time of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been participating in a meeting at a educational institution in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a secret bunker in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the downing of any non-communicating planes approaching the US Capitol.

Cheney said the strikes transformed him, causing him to be determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, including Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an attempt to apprehend Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the military action of Iraq, even though there was no evidence of Saddam Hussein playing a role.

Controversial Actions

He expressed no regrets about the armed intervention, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis died, nor about the waterboarding of detainees rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion, which was predicated on inaccurate reports circulated by Cheney, was the right path to take. "It was the proper decision to do then. I was convinced then and I maintain that stance today."

Yet during that period, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the White House's own representatives to the region, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was not reappointed from the post. "I witnessed, at the very least," he wrote later "obvious failure, carelessness, and recklessness: potentially, lying, incompetence, and dishonesty."

Additional Factors

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq invasion. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had composed a document detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (including "obtaining essential resources, mainly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the United States should be positioned to take unilateral action when joint efforts prove impossible," explicitly mentioning military moves against Iraq.

Bush also had assumed the White House generally inclined on implementing what his parent had famously refused to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. After he had been sacked by the president, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had announced his intention of lowering America's engagement in the Middle East dispute and proposed armed intervention against Iraq.

Bush held a private grievance against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a plot to assassinate his father, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He also disliked that one of the biggest hotels in Baghdad had a floor mural with a likeness of his parent's countenance that all visitors had to step on.

Questioning Techniques

But it was Cheney who was among the most vehement supporting attacking Iraq, frequently citing agency briefings that were whether insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush White House indirectly described as "enhanced interrogation", the employment of simulated drowning and harsh treatment.

Responding to a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the torture, Cheney rejected the report as "riddled with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and establish programmes to catch the individuals who murdered 3,000 of us on 9/11 and guarantee it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of praise."

External Perception

Cheney took pleasure in nicknames given to him by critics such as Darth Vader and the dark figure, and by the concept that he was a sinister influence controlling Bush. In the author's 2013 publication about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Is it me who is the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that remains unseen emerge from his lair? This represents a advantageous way to work, truthfully."

Commercial Ties

Controversy over his commercial relationships accompanied him through his period as second-in-command. Even though he had minimal expertise in commerce but strong connections in defence, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's most substantial oil and gas companies, in 1995 as chair and top executive.

In 2000 he assumed the role of Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was granted US agreements valued at substantial sums.

It significantly boosted his finances. His yearly compensation during his time at the firm increased from his previous salary while military head to over four million. When he resigned in 2000 he had a severance arrangement worth in excess of $20m|twenty