WASHINGTON – Former Vice President Dick Cheney died Thursday at age 81, marking the end of an era for a figure central to the George W. Bush administration’s defining policies,including the invasion of Iraq and the “War on Terror.” His death was announced by his office, but no cause was given.
Cheney’s passing arrives at a moment of renewed scrutiny of the Iraq War’s legacy and the neoconservative foreign policy principles he championed. The decisions made during his time in office continue to shape geopolitical realities and fuel ongoing debates about U.S. interventionism, the use of torture, and the balance between national security and civil liberties. His influence extended beyond foreign policy, impacting domestic energy policy and executive power.
Cheney served as Vice President from 2001 to 2009, wielding considerable influence within the Bush administration. Prior to that, he held several key positions, including Secretary of Defense under President George H.W. bush. He was a staunch advocate for a strong executive branch and a proactive foreign policy.
The lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq saw Cheney as a leading voice arguing for the necessity of removing Saddam Hussein, citing alleged links to al-Qaeda and the posession of weapons of mass destruction – claims that where later widely disputed. In a 2002 speech, he asserted, “There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.” This conviction, alongside that of other administration officials, formed the core justification for the war.
Following the invasion, Cheney defended the administration’s handling of the occupation and the use of controversial interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, arguing they were necessary to gather intelligence and prevent further attacks. Lisa Hajjar, who extensively covered the issue for the Middle East Research and information Project (MERIP), detailed the suffering of those subjected to these practices and the “criminality at the heart of the Bush-Cheney consensus.”
MERIP’s coverage from the period,including reports from Iraqi novelist Sinan Antoon on his return to Iraq in 2003,highlighted the chaos and plight of Iraqis under U.S. occupation. A 2004 MERIP editorial offered a “searing indictment” of the 9/11 commission’s initial findings, which the publication argued absolved the Bush administration of failures.
Cheney’s influence also extended to domestic policy, particularly energy. He played a key role in shaping the Bush administration’s energy policy, which critics argued favored the interests of energy companies.
In the years following his time in office, Cheney remained a vocal defender of the administration’s policies and a critic of its successors. He co-authored a memoir with his daughter, Liz Cheney, titled exceptional: why the American Advantage Will Determine the 21st Century, further outlining his worldview.
A 2005 article in MERIP by Jim Lobe detailed the influence of neoconservative “war hawks” within the bush administration and their prospects for continued influence during Bush’s second term. Fareed Mohamaedi and Yahya Sadowski, writing for MERIP in 2001, foreshadowed manny of the developments that would unfold under Bush and Cheney in the wake of September 11th.
