Dick Cheney, Former US Vice President and Post‑9/11 Strategist, Dies at 84

Post by : Raina Nasser

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at 84, his family announced on Tuesday, citing complications from pneumonia alongside underlying cardiac and vascular disease.

The family said Cheney was at home surrounded by his wife Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary, and other close relatives when he passed away.

Cheney was a consequential figure in American public life across four decades, serving as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He was widely seen as a principal architect of the administration's foreign and defence posture after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Earlier in his career, Cheney was Secretary of Defense for President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993 and oversaw US forces during the Gulf War. He also represented Wyoming in the House of Representatives and held senior positions in several Republican administrations.

His time in office combined assertive policy leadership with sustained controversy, notably over his vigorous support for the 2003 Iraq invasion and robust counterterrorism programs. Advocates credited him with strategic clarity and an uncompromising focus on national security.

Cheney contended with serious health issues for many years, including multiple heart attacks; he received a cardiac assist device in 2012. In his memoir, In My Time, he provided a candid account of both his medical struggles and his decades in government.

His daughter Liz Cheney, a former congresswoman, has become a prominent and sometimes polarising political voice, known for her public defence of democratic institutions and criticism of former President Donald Trump.

The family has asked for privacy at this time and said they will release details about funeral and memorial arrangements at a later date.