He was among the main architects of the war on terrorism after September 11th
Dick Cheneythe former vice president of the United States and one of the most influential and controversial politicians in contemporary American history, is died at the age of 84 due to complications due to pneumonia and cardiac and vascular pathologies. The family announced it, explaining that next to him were his wife Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary and his grandchildren.
The man behind the “war on terrorism”
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A key figure in George W. Bush’s presidency, Cheney served as 46th Vice President from 2001 to 2009becoming the architect of the “war on terrorism” and a central player in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, based on information that later proved to be unfounded. It was he, more than anyone else, who gave shape to the doctrine of preventive war and the idea of an America ready to use force to defend its security after the September 11 attacks. His power, often exercised behind the scenes, made him the most influential vice president in modern history. His vision, founded on a strong idea of presidential authority and an expansive conception of the role of the United States in the world, marked an entire generation of American foreign policy.
Controversies and the doctrine of power
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Cheney remained one divisive figure: for supporters, a man of principles and strategic rigor; for detractors, the symbol of the excesses of the “war on terror”. He was at the center of controversy for the use of torture in interrogation programs and for the management of the Guantánamo prison. But he never showed any regrets: “I would do it again right away,” he said in 2014 of the “enhanced interrogation” techniques.
Fragile health and the challenge of death
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Struck by serious heart problems since the age of 37Cheney survived five heart attacks and numerous surgeries. In 2012 he received a heart transplantwhich he called “the gift of life itself.” Despite health problems, he always maintained an active role in American public and political debate.
What Cheney did after the White House
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After leaving office in 2009, Cheney published two memoirs — one political and one autobiographical — and returned to comment on the political scene. It became a fierce critic of Barack Obama, and then of Donald Trumpwhom he called “a coward” and “the greatest threat to the Republic.” In recent years, now isolated from his own party, he even went so far as to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections, saying he felt “a duty to put the country above partisanship”.
The legacy of a controversial figure
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With his death, the parable of a man who represented the harshest and most unscrupulous face of American power ends. Dick Cheney embodied the belief — never denied — that strength and national security came first. And until the end, he believed he acted to defend the nation he considered his greatest responsibility.
La Gazzetta dello Sport
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