Dick Cheney’s demise a loss to the nation, says George W Bush

[ad_1] Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent ,

George Wright and

Alex Smith

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/7a34/live/153b4d10-b99c-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images George W Bush speaks at a lectern at the White House in 2004, and Cheney, standing next to him, looks at him." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis by way of Getty Photos Dick Cheney was one of the vital highly effective US vice-presidents in historical past below George W Bush

Former US President George W Bush has lead tributes to Dick Cheney, saying his demise is "a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his mates".

Cheney died from problems of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular illness on Monday night time on the age of 84, his household mentioned in an announcement.

He turned one of the vital highly effective US vice-presidents in historical past below Bush, and leaves behind a controversial legacy as a key architect of the "battle on terror", and an early advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"Historical past will bear in mind him as among the many most interesting public servants of his technology," Bush mentioned in an announcement.

Cheney was "a patriot who introduced integrity, excessive intelligence, and seriousness of function to each place he held", Bush added.

"I counted on him for his sincere, forthright counsel, and he by no means failed to provide his finest. He held to his convictions and prioritized the liberty and safety of the American folks."

Condoleezza Rice, who served as Secretary of State alongside Cheney within the Bush administration, mentioned she admired him "for his integrity and his love of our nation".

"He was an inspiring presence and mentor who taught me an amazing deal about public service," she wrote on X.

Former President Invoice Clinton, a Democrat, mentioned: "Although we frequently disagreed, I all the time revered his dedication to our nation and his unwavering sense of obligation."

Watch: The Iraq battle to a looking accident, Dick Cheney's defining moments

Regardless of being a stalwart determine within the Republican celebration for a few years, Cheney turned a bitter critic of it below the management of Donald Trump.

The president has but to touch upon his demise, however the White Home says Trump is "conscious" of it.

Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned: "Scripture could be very clear, we give honour the place honour is due."

"Even after we had political variations as any individual later in life, you must honour the sacrifices and the service they gave to their nation," he mentioned.

Flags on the White Home had been lowered to half-staff on Tuesday morning, shortly after his demise was introduced.

Of their assertion asserting his demise, Cheney's household mentioned that he was a "nice and good man who taught his kids and grandchildren to like our nation, and to dwell lives of braveness, honour, love, kindness, and fly fishing".

Cheney was a controversial political determine, notably in his position behind the "battle on terror", which noticed the US invade Iraq within the wake of the 9/11 assaults.

Iraqi author Sinan Antoon mentioned that Cheney's lasting legacy within the nation is of "chaos and terrorism".

"In a distinct world Dick Cheney would undoubtedly be a battle legal and can be standing trial," he instructed the BBC's Newshour programme.

Kristofer Goldsmith, a US Military veteran who was deployed to Iraq, additionally instructed the BBC that "most individuals recognise Dick Cheney as somebody who created an enormous drawback that ended up in lots of of hundreds of deaths."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/638a/live/402ed360-b99d-11f0-a296-2db798c7811c.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and George W Bush, as well as two other men, speaking in a board room" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Photos Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and George W Bush on 9/11

Richard "Dick" Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1941 and later attended the celebrated Yale College on a scholarship however did not graduate.

He went on to achieve a Grasp's diploma in political science from the College of Wyoming.

His first style of Washington got here in 1968, when he labored for William Steiger, a younger Republican consultant from Wisconsin.

Cheney turned chief of workers below Gerald Ford in 1975, when he was simply 34 years outdated, earlier than spending a decade within the Home of Representatives.

As secretary of defence below George Bush Snr, he presided over the Pentagon in the course of the 1990-91 Gulf Warfare, during which a US-led coalition evicted Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

He turned VP to George W Bush in 2001, and performed a better position in making main coverage selections than most of his predecessors.

It's for this position that he can be remembered finest and most controversially.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1342/live/3d5f77d0-b97e-11f0-9cb8-9fe1414ae1ca.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images Dick Cheney introduces US Vice President Mike Pence at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual leadership meeting at The Venetian Las Vegas on 24 February 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photos Through the youthful Bush's administration, he singlehandedly turned his position as vice-president from what was historically an empty position, with little formal energy, right into a de-facto deputy presidency, overseeing American international coverage and nationwide safety within the wake of the 11 September assaults on the World Commerce Middle and Pentagon in 2001.

He was a number one advocate of US navy motion in each Afghanistan and Iraq.

Within the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, Cheney mentioned that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed so-called weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons had been by no means discovered in the course of the navy marketing campaign.

He additionally repeatedly claimed there have been hyperlinks between Iraq and al-Qaeda, the phobia group led by Osama bin Laden that claimed accountability for the 9/11 assaults. He mentioned the attackers would incur the "full wrath" of American navy would possibly.

Cheney's key position within the marketing campaign closely affected his political legacy, after the US took years to extricate itself from its expensive battle in Iraq, which resulted within the deaths of lots of of hundreds of individuals.

His political profession later turned the topic of a serious characteristic movie in 2018's Vice - with actor Christian Bale receiving a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the previous vice-president.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c059/live/737743e0-b99f-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images President Gerald Ford waves as he walks past the presidential helicopter with Dick Cheney walking next to him, shown in 1975 in a black and white photo." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Getty Photos President Gerald Ford along with his 34-year-old chief of workers, Dick Cheney, in 1975

Cheney had quite a few coronary heart issues all through his life.

He suffered the primary of many coronary heart assaults in 1978, when he was simply 37. Cheney was campaigning for a seat within the Home of Representatives on the time - and smoking three packets of cigarettes a day.

In 2010 he underwent surgical procedure to put in a small coronary heart pump to attempt to fight "growing congestive coronary heart failure".

At this level he had already suffered 5 coronary heart assaults. Two years later, Cheney had a full coronary heart transplant.

He's survived by his spouse Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary Cheney, and 7 grandchildren.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/cc31/live/5b28ecc0-b9a0-11f0-91b3-9fadee0808a6.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagi George W Bush, Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney and Dick Cheney wave to the crowd at the 2004 Republican national convention." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagi George W Bush, Laura Bush, Lynne Cheney and Dick Cheney on the 2004 Republican Nationwide Conference

Regardless of many years working for Republican presidents, he turned a bitter opponent of President Donald Trump.

Having initially endorsed him in 2016, Cheney was appalled by allegations of Russian interference within the presidential election and Trump's seemingly informal angle in the direction of Nato.

He supported his older daughter, Liz, as she turned a number one Republican "by no means Trump" within the Home of Representatives - and condemned the refusal to just accept the results of the 2020 election.

Two months earlier than final 12 months's US presidential election, Cheney staged a serious intervention: asserting that he would vote for the Democrats' Kamala Harris.

He mentioned there had "by no means been a person who's a better menace to our republic than Donald Trump".

In return, Trump referred to as Cheney "irrelevant RINO" - an acronym which stands for "Republican in identify solely".

In his last years, Cheney would turn out to be a persona non grata in his personal celebration, which had been reshaped in Trump's picture.

In an odd last twist, his personal Trump criticism - and endorsement of Harris - would win him reward from some on the left who had as soon as denounced him many years earlier.