Former US Vice President Dick Cheney passes away

WASHINGTON, DC: Former US Vice-President Richard Bruce Cheney, hailed as America’s most powerful modern vice president and oft called the chief architect of the Iraq war passed away at the age of 84 due to medical complications, CNN reported citing a statement by his family.

“His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed,” the family said, as reported by CNN, adding that he died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.

“Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honour, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” the family said.

Cheney was the 46th vice president, who served alongside Former President George W Bush for two terms between 2001 and 2009.
Richard Bruce Cheney was born January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

During his political career, he was picked by Donald Rumsfeld as his deputy White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford and then succeeded his mentor and close friend in the job in 1975.

CNN reported that while Democratic President Jimmy Carter was in the White House, Cheney decided to run for Congress and was elected to Wyoming’s sole US House seat in 1978. Cheney served six terms, rising to become House minority whip.

In 1989, President George HW Bush, who had served with Cheney in the Ford administration, tapped him to serve as his defence secretary, calling him a “trusted friend, adviser.”

As the Pentagon chief, Cheney played a key role in directing the US invasion of Panama in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in 1991 to push Iraq’s troops out of Kuwait. Following his stint as defence secretary, Cheney briefly explored a run for president in the 1996 election cycle but decided against it, CNN said.

During Democrat Bill Clinton’s presidency, Cheney joined Dallas-based Halliburton Co. serving as its chief executive officer.

Cheney is survived by Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary Cheney and seven grandchildren.

“We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man”, the family said in a statement as reported by CNN. (ANI)