Dick Cheney, who has died at the age of 84, had a glittering - if controversial - career in American public life. He served as President Gerald Ford's White House chief of staff in the 1970s, before spending a decade in the House of Representatives. President George H W Bush made him defence secretary during the first Gulf War and the US invasion of Panama.
In 2001, Cheney became one of the most powerful vice-presidents in history. He was a key architect of President George W Bush's 'War on Terror' after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and an early advocate of the invasion of Iraq. But, in his final years, he became a bitter critic of the Republican party under the leadership of President Donald Trump. In our nation's 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic, Cheney said.
Richard Bruce Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 30 January 1941. His father worked for the US Department of Agriculture, while his mother had been a successful softball player in the 1930s. When he was 13, his family moved to Casper, an oil town in Wyoming. In 1959, Cheney entered Yale on a scholarship, but failed to graduate. He confessed that he fell in with some kindred souls who shared his opinion that beer was one of the essentials of life.
His congressional career was marked by staunch conservatism, and he gained notoriety for his hardline stances on various issues, including support for major military spending increases. His tactical prowess in military strategy was showcased during the Gulf War when his advocacy led to the deployment of US troops to confront Saddam Hussein.
Cheney's legacy is a complex tapestry of military advocacy, fierce loyalty to presidential directives, and evolving political perspectives, making him a significant and controversial figure in American history.
