Former U.S. President George W Bush has reacted to the death of Dick Cheney in an emotional tribute, calling his passing "a loss to the nation and sorrow to friends".
In a statement released on Tuesday, Bush said that himself and wife Laura, would remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honourable man that he was.
"History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation - a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held." he said.
The former vice president died Monday night from complications of pneumonia, and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said.
Cheney who was considered by presidential historians as one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history was aged 84, at the time of his death.
Bush also narrated how Cheney became his running mate in 2000, calling him a "calm and steady presence".
"As a young White House aide and chief of staff, a Congressman, a Secretary of Defense, and my Vice President, Dick earned the confidence and high opinion of five presidents. I asked him to join my ticket in 2000 after first enlisting him to help me find the best running mate.
"In our long discussions about the qualities a vice president should have - deep experience, mature judgment, character, loyalty - I realized that Dick Cheney was the one I needed.
I'm still grateful that he was at my side for the eight years that followed. Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges."
A strong advocate for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Cheney was among the most outspoken of Bush administration officials warning of the danger from Iraq's alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found.
He also expanded the clout of the vice president's office by putting together a national security team that often served as a power center of its own within the administration.
He clashed with several top Bush aides, including Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, and defended "enhanced" interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects that included waterboarding and sleep deprivation.
"In our nation's 248 year-history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump," said the man who had long been a foe of the left.
Cheney was troubled much of his life by heart problems, suffering the first of a number of heart attacks at age 37. He had a heart transplant in 2012. Who was Dick Cheney?
Born Richard Bruce Cheney in Lincoln, Nebraska in January 1941, Cheney grew up in Casper, Wyoming.
He earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Political Science from the Univeristy of Wyoming.
Cheney had a political career spanning over three decades where he served in various roles including U.S. Representative from Wyoming, part of the transition team for President Gerald Ford and later as deputy assistant to the President.
In November 1975, he was named Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff. He also served as Secretary of Defence.
According to his biographer, John Nichols, Cheney repeatedly applied for deferments and exemptions to avoid conscription.
"Cheney reacted to the prospect of wearing his country’s uniform like a man with a deadly allergy to olive drab," Nichols wrote in The Nation magazine in 2011.
Cheney stated that he would have been happy to serve.
Venezuela has released 116 detainees in a new wave of prisoner releases, according to the Penitentiary Services Ministry....
The European Parliament has announced a ban on Iranian diplomats following the government’s response to nationwide protests in Iran. President Rober...
Sweden will spend 4 billion crowns ($437 million) on unmanned drone systems to be delivered over the next two years, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said ...
India and Germany have agreed a range of deals to deepen cooperation between the two nations, with defence, trade and technology high on the agenda....
The UK’s media regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into the social media platform X, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, over concern...
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order preventing Venezuelan oil revenues held by the United States, from being used in judicial proceedings, arguing that court action could threaten U.S. policy objectives in Venezuela.
Despite facing challenges in chip manufacturing, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are optimistic about narrowing the technological gap with the United States, driven by an increasing culture of risk-taking and innovation.
Slovakia will sign an agreement on nuclear power cooperation with the United States next week, announced Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday, as the country progresses towards a deal to construct a new nuclear power unit with U.S. assistance.
Greenland’s parliament will bring forward a meeting to discuss its response to recent U.S. statements about taking control of the Arctic island, after leaders of all five political parties criticised comments by President Donald Trump.
Timothée Chalamet won the Golden Globe for best male actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday for his role in Marty Supreme, beating strong competition in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.
Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano is showing increased activity, with lava flowing from two summit craters and flames, smoke and ash rising from the caldera.
Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
The United States’ actions in Venezuela have clearly demonstrated not only that Latin America remains firmly in Washington’s geopolitical orbit, but also that the U.S. is the only global superpower.
Despite facing challenges in chip manufacturing, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are optimistic about narrowing the technological gap with the United States, driven by an increasing culture of risk-taking and innovation.
Venezuela has released 116 detainees in a new wave of prisoner releases, according to the Penitentiary Services Ministry.
The European Parliament has announced a ban on Iranian diplomats following the government’s response to nationwide protests in Iran. President Roberta Metsola confirmed the measure in a post on X on Monday, 12 January.
Sweden will spend 4 billion crowns ($437 million) on unmanned drone systems to be delivered over the next two years, Defence Minister Pal Jonson said on Monday.
India and Germany have agreed a range of deals to deepen cooperation between the two nations, with defence, trade and technology high on the agenda.
The UK’s media regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into the social media platform X, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, over concerns that its artificial intelligence tool Grok has been used to generate sexualised images of women and children.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment