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

The late US vice-president Dick Cheney, who died at the age of 84, was seen as among the most powerful holders of the vice-presidency in the nation's history. Whereas numerous vice-presidents were limited to minor or figurehead functions, Cheney exercised huge sway during the administration 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 said the dynamic was more nuanced. He noted that Cheney was respectful, invariably referring to him in public as Mr President, while he called him as Dick. Bush questioned even portrayals of their association as a partnership because it implied that they were on equal footing. Despite these objections, Cheney considered the relaxed president pliable on a broad range of administrative determinations.

The Aftermath of 9/11

In charge of a group of neo-conservatives that encompassed Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld and Pentagon second-in-command Paul Wolfowitz, he strongly advocated the military intervention of Iraq in 2003 in response to the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. During of the 9/11 attack, Bush had been attending a meeting at a elementary school in Florida. While Bush headed for a underground facility in Nebraska, Cheney took charge, ordering the shooting down of any non-communicating planes heading toward the government building.

Cheney said the assaults altered his perspective, causing him to be determined on revenge. In conjunction with other neo-conservatives, like Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, he campaigned for a occupation of Afghanistan in an effort to seize Osama bin Laden. Cheney then vigorously pushed for the armed intervention of Iraq, although there was insufficient indication of Saddam Hussein being involved.

Disputed Policies

He showed no remorse about the invasion, in which an approximated 100,000 Iraqis lost their lives, and not about the enhanced interrogation of suspects rounded up after 9/11. He stated to CNN in 2015 that the Iraq invasion effort, which was predicated on faulty information circulated by Cheney, was the correct path to take. "It represented the correct action to do back then. I had faith at the time and I hold that view presently."

However even then, there were contrary opinions at a high level about the botched execution of Iraq. One of the administration's own delegates to the Middle East, General Anthony Zinni (2001-03), was dismissed from the post. "I observed, at a minimum," he subsequently stated "obvious failure, carelessness, and irresponsibility: potentially, falsehoods, unfitness, and corruption."

Broader Context

Cheney was not solely to blame for the Iraq military action. Even before 9/11, Wolfowitz had advocated for such action. He had composed a memorandum detailing scenarios in which American interests might be endangered (including "obtaining essential resources, mostly Persian Gulf oil"). Wolfowitz had argued that "the US should be postured to act independently when joint efforts cannot be orchestrated," particularly referencing military moves against Iraq.

Bush also had entered the White House generally inclined on executing what his predecessor had specifically avoided to do in 1991; topple Saddam. Following he had been fired by the White House, the treasury secretary Paul O'Neill revealed how, at the opening session of the National Security Council in January 2001, Bush had declared his plan of diminishing America's engagement in the regional tensions and mooted military action against Iraq.

Bush bore a individual resentment against Saddam, believing he had been behind a scheme to assassinate his predecessor, President George HW Bush, on a trip to Kuwait in 1993. He furthermore disliked that one of the biggest establishments in Baghdad had a ground design with a image of his father's face that each person had to walk over.

Interrogation Methods

But it was Cheney who was part of the most outspoken advocating invading Iraq, frequently referencing information documents that were whether thin or totally misleading. He backed what the Bush administration euphemistically referred to as "intensive questioning", the application of interrogation method and harsh treatment.

Answering a Senate document in 2014 that concluded that no useful information had been obtained through the interrogation methods, Cheney disregarded the conclusions as "loaded with crap". He stated to Fox News: "We requested [the CIA] to establish protocols and put in place programmes to catch the perpetrators who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and ensure it was not repeated. That is precisely what they did and they deserve a lot of credit."

Public Image

Cheney enjoyed monikers given to him by detractors such as the dark character and the dark figure, and by the idea that he was a sinister influence directing Bush. In the journalist's 2013 publication about the two, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, Cheney is reported as stating: "Is it me who is the sinister strategist in the background that remains unseen emerge from his hole? This represents a advantageous way to work, in fact."

Corporate Connections

Debate over his corporate affiliations followed him throughout his time as VP. Even though he had limited background in business but established relationships in security, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he was invited to join Halliburton, one of the world's biggest petroleum companies, in 1995 as chairman and chief executive.

In 2000 he was selected as Bush's running mate for the executive branch. Controversially, during the conflict in Iraq, Halliburton was awarded US contracts worth multiple billions.

It made him rich. His yearly compensation during his tenure at the corporation increased from his previous salary when he was defence secretary to over four million. When he left in 2000 he had a severance arrangement totaling more than $20m|twenty