Iraq war and interrogations: Why Dick Cheney’s legacy will be a divisive one

Dick Cheney’s life reflected the paradox of power – how strength can protect a nation but also endanger its principles.

Over 50 years in public service, he became known as a skilled political strategist and one of the most divisive figures to hold office.

His rise began back in 1975, when he served as the youngest-ever White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford.

Calm, organised and loyal, he was credited with helping to stabilise the White House after the Watergate scandal.

Later, as a congressman from Wyoming, he built a reputation as a reliable conservative who believed in limited government, low taxes and strong defence.

As Secretary of Defence, under George Bush Snr, Dick Cheney oversaw Operation Desert Storm, the first Gulf War.

The swift victory of the US-led coalition, driving Iraqi forces from Kuwait, earned him respect in national security circles.

He left government briefly, becoming CEO of the energy giant Halliburton, a move that would later fuel accusations of conflict of interest.

When George W Bush chose him as his running mate in 2000, his influence expanded dramatically, especially after the 9/11 attacks.

He re-shaped national security policy, creating the Department of Homeland Security and driving what became known as the “war on terror”.

He pushed for the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq and the use of harsh interrogation methods, and expanded government surveillance.

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Deemed the chief architect of the invasion of Iraq, he insisted Saddam Hussein held weapons of mass destruction, a claim later proven to be false.

Critics accused him of overstepping the law and misleading the country, and he became a symbol of unchecked executive power.

Sound familiar? In recent years, he emerged as an unlikely critic of Donald Trump, condemning the US president’s disregard of the constitution.

It was, to many, a remarkable stance for a man long accused of overstepping constitutional boundaries himself.

Some will remember him as a disciplined strategist who understood the levers of government more deeply than most of his peers.

To others, he embodied a strain of American conservatism so focused on strength that it dismisses public transparency as weakness.

Dick Cheney left office with historically low approval ratings but remained unrepentant, arguing history would vindicate him.

He had certainly claimed his place in it, having risen from low-profile bureaucrat to the most influential of US vice presidents.