The Media Line: Former US Vice President Dick Cheney Dies at 84; His Legacy in the Middle East Endures 

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Former US Vice President Dick Cheney Dies at 84; His Legacy in the Middle East Endures 

By Steven Ganot/The Media Line 

Richard “Dick” B. Cheney, who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush, died Monday night at 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said Tuesday. Cheney’s long and controversial career left a profound mark on the modern Middle East, where his policies shaped American wars, alliances, and strategic doctrines that continue to echo today. 

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1941 and raised in Wyoming, Cheney earned degrees in political science from the University of Wyoming. He rose through Washington’s ranks under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before becoming secretary of defense under President George H. W. Bush. In that role, he oversaw the 1991 Gulf War, directing a coalition campaign that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait and introduced a new era of US military presence in the Persian Gulf. It was then that Cheney began defining a worldview centered on maintaining American dominance in the region and ensuring Israel’s security against hostile neighbors. 

When Cheney returned to power as vice president a decade later, the September 11 attacks transformed him into one of the principal architects of the US response. He helped shape the “war on terror” and argued that preemptive action against potential threats was both necessary and moral. The 2003 invasion of Iraq—justified in part by fears that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction—became the centerpiece of his Middle East legacy. Cheney’s conviction that the removal of Hussein would stabilize the region proved mistaken, as Iraq descended into insurgency and sectarian violence, reshaping regional power balances and expanding Iran’s influence. 

Throughout his tenure, Cheney framed Iran as the United States’ most serious long-term adversary in the Middle East, urging stronger measures to contain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and regional proxies. He pressed for a tougher posture toward Syria and viewed the US relationship with Israel as a cornerstone of Middle East stability. In addresses to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and during official visits to the region, Cheney emphasized that the United States had both a “strategic and moral duty” to stand by Israel. He also met Palestinian Authority leaders during his 2008 trip to Ramallah, voicing support for a two-state solution while condemning Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza. 

Cheney’s influence reached beyond specific policies. He helped redefine the American presidency’s power to wage war and gather intelligence, steering Washington toward more muscular engagement in the Middle East. Supporters called him a clear-eyed realist; critics accused him of hubris and of unleashing instability that would fuel decades of conflict. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the global use of targeted killings, and the rise of anti-American sentiment across the Arab world all became part of the debate over his legacy. 

After leaving office in 2009, Cheney remained an outspoken defender of his record and a sharp critic of those who sought to reverse it. He survived multiple heart attacks and received a heart transplant in 2012. In recent years, he publicly supported his daughter, former Representative Liz Cheney, as she broke with the Republican Party over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. 

Cheney died surrounded by family at his home in Wyoming. He is survived by his wife, Lynne, and their daughters, Liz and Mary. For the Middle East, his name will forever be linked with the Iraq War, America’s post-9/11 transformation, and a worldview that saw the region as the central battleground for American power and ideals.