Ex- Second-in-Command Dick Cheney: An Examination on His Impactful Time in Office

The former US second-in-command Dick Cheney, who passed away at the age of 84, was regarded as arguably the most powerful holders of that position in US history. While countless VPs were confined to marginal or symbolic roles, Cheney held enormous sway during the presidency of George W Bush, to the point that he was often called as the "true president".

Bush resented this portrayal and said the dynamic was more nuanced. He observed that Cheney was respectful, invariably addressing him in official appearances as the President, while he called him as Dick. Bush challenged even descriptions of their partnership as a collaboration because it implied that they were equals. Regardless of these denials, Cheney considered the easygoing president pliable on a wide array of administrative determinations.

The Aftermath of 9/11

At the head of a group of neo-conservatives that featured Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and assistant defense 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 assault, Bush had been attending a session at a elementary school in Florida. Whereas Bush made his way to a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, commanding the downing of any non-communicating planes approaching the US Capitol.

Cheney claimed the assaults transformed him, making him become focused on retribution. In conjunction with other conservative figures, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he advocated for a invasion of Afghanistan in an endeavor to capture Osama bin Laden. Cheney then strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq, even though there was little proof of Saddam Hussein having involvement.

Disputed Decisions

He voiced no apologies about the military campaign, in which an reckoned 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the waterboarding of individuals apprehended after 9/11. He informed CNN in 2015 that the Iraq military action, which was founded on inaccurate reports circulated by Cheney, was the proper decision. "It proved to be the proper decision to do at that time. I had faith at the time and I believe it today."

Yet even then, there were contrary opinions at a top tier about the poor management of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the position. "I saw, at a minimum," he wrote later "true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility: in the worst case, deception, ineptitude, and corruption."

Broader Context

Cheney was not entirely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for similar measures. He had written a memorandum detailing scenarios in which US concerns might be threatened (including "obtaining vital raw materials, primarily Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had contended that "the US should be prepared to take unilateral action when collective action prove impossible," specifically referencing military moves against Iraq.

Bush too had assumed the Oval Office somewhat determined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; overthrow Saddam. Subsequent to he had been dismissed by the White House, the Treasury head Paul O'Neill recounted how, at the initial gathering of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his objective of diminishing America's involvement in the Middle East dispute and proposed military action against Iraq.

Bush held a personal grudge against Saddam, believing he had been responsible for a conspiracy to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a journey to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore resented that one of the most prominent establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his predecessor's countenance that all visitors had to walk over.

Investigation Approaches

But it was Cheney who was one of the most outspoken advocating invading Iraq, repeatedly quoting information documents that were whether insubstantial or completely deceptive. He endorsed what the Bush government indirectly described as "advanced techniques", the application of interrogation method and physical pressure.

Addressing a Senate analysis in 2014 that determined that no actionable intelligence had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney dismissed the report as "riddled with crap". He informed Fox News: "We asked [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to apprehend the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it would not recur. That was specifically what they did and they earn a lot of recognition."

Public Image

Cheney enjoyed labels imposed on him by detractors such as the Star Wars villain and the sinister presence, and by the notion that he was a shadow power directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 volume about the duo, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is cited as commenting: "Am I the malevolent mastermind in the shadows that remains unseen leave his lair? That is a nice way to function, truthfully."

Commercial Ties

Debate over his corporate affiliations pursued him throughout his time as second-in-command. Although he had limited background in business but strong connections in security, especially in Saudi Arabia, he was offered a position at Halliburton, one of the world's biggest oil and gas corporations, in 1995 as chair and CEO.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's election partner for the executive branch. Debatably, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US agreements worth billions.

It greatly increased his wealth. His annual income during his time at the firm rose from his quarter-million dollars when he was military head to millions. When he resigned in 2000 he had a compensation package totaling over $20m|twenty