Dick Cheney, who served as the 46th vice president of the United States, became a significant figure in American politics, leaving a lasting impact on foreign policy and the power dynamics within the executive branch.
Part of his legacy includes overseeing one of the most controversial decisions in U.S. history—the 2003 Iraq invasion, largely based on misinformation. This led to nearly 5,000 American military casualties and countless Iraqi deaths.
Cheney passed away on Monday at 84 due to complications from pneumonia and heart disease. His career spanned almost forty years, during which he held various roles, including White House chief of staff, congressman, and secretary of defense, but is perhaps best known for his time as vice president under George W. Bush.
Here are some key aspects of his contributions to U.S. foreign policy:
Advocating for Expanded Presidential Power
Cheney was a staunch proponent of presidential authority. He often claimed that limitations on presidential power would diminish the United States’ effectiveness, especially in military matters. While serving as Wyoming’s representative in the 1980s, he argued for greater executive powers as a quicker fix for various issues, rather than relying on Congressional approval.
“I fundamentally disagree with those who believe that further restrictions on the conduct of the president’s foreign policy are necessary,” he wrote toward the end of Reagan’s first term, emphasizing the need for a president who could maximize his available resources.
Post-9/11, Cheney maintained that the nature of threats facing the U.S. required preserving the constitutional authority of the commander in chief. “I believe in strong, strong executive power, and I think the world we live in demands that,” he stated, linking expansive executive power to national security.
Cheney spearheaded the response to 9/11, which included controversial authorizations to capture and indefinitely detain suspected terrorists, a strategy labeled as “extraordinary rendition.” The administration also employed “enhanced interrogation” techniques, including torture methods like waterboarding, to obtain information. While justified by legal advisors, these actions ultimately tarnished Washington’s reputation.
The Start of an Ongoing Conflict in the Middle East
Cheney was pivotal in shaping the war on terror, advocating not just for action against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan but also for the Iraq War to remove Saddam Hussein and secure control of oil resources. He promoted the idea that the invasion of Baghdad was necessary, even though those claims were largely based on false assumptions about weapons of mass destruction. In March 2003, he insisted that the U.S. would be celebrated as liberators.
However, this decision became one of the most criticized in U.S. history, especially given the unforeseen costs and casualties associated with nearly a decade of warfare. No weapons of mass destruction were found, and the ensuing violence destabilized Iraq, paving the way for extremist groups like ISIS. Meanwhile, the conflict in Afghanistan dragged on for nearly 20 years before troop withdrawal in 2021.
Defending Torture in Warfare
Cheney’s rhetoric immediately following 9/11 made it clear that the U.S. would adopt a tough stance: “Fundamentally, it becomes important to use every means at our disposal to achieve our ends.” He stressed the need to confront the “dark side” of conflict, which included controversial tactics like the CIA’s harsh interrogation methods, now widely recognized as torture.
Some in the Bush administration expressed concern about these tactics, indicating they could harm the U.S.’s legitimacy in prosecuting terrorists. Graphic images from Abu Ghraib prison later emerged, further damaging the nation’s global standing and prompting investigations into the CIA’s practices.
Despite widespread criticism, Cheney remained resolute, arguing that such methods did not constitute torture and that the CIA’s actions were a necessary countermeasure against terrorists. He famously stated, “To me, torture…is the last phone call an American citizen made to his four young daughters on his cell phone on September 11th, just before he was burned to death on the upper floor of the Trade Center in New York.” He concluded, “We took great care not to resort to torture,” and expressed willingness to support the interrogation program again if given the chance.
The majority of specialists challenge the effectiveness of torture as an interrogation tool, asserting that information obtained under duress tends to be unreliable, as individuals are likely to say anything to stop the pain.
