Former US vice president Richard ‘Dick’ Bruce Cheney, the key force behind the post-9/11 “war on terror” has died at 84 from complications of pneumonia and heart disease.
Known for his hardline approach and willingness to embrace controversy, he was widely seen as the most powerful vice president in US history, driving major decisions under George W Bush, including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Critics blamed him for false WMD claims, torture policies, surveillance expansion and widespread instability in the Middle East.
Born in Nebraska and raised in Wyoming, Cheney served as White House chief of staff, defense secretary under George HW Bush, and later CEO of Halliburton, where he played a role in expanding private military contracting.
Supporters describe him as a patriot with strong conviction; opponents view him as a divisive architect of disastrous wars. His family praised him as a devoted father and public servant.
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