Dick Cheney, who served as the 46th vice president of the United States and became one of the most powerful and divisive figures in modern American politics, has died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease at the age of 84, his family announced Tuesday.

A dominant force in Washington for decades, Cheney served two terms under US president George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and played a central role in shaping US national security policy following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Often described as the chief strategist behind the invasion of Iraq and the broader “war on terror,” Cheney was also a steadfast supporter of Israel and its right to defend itself, reflecting his deeply held belief in a strong US presence in the Middle East. His legacy remains deeply controversial.

On the morning of the September 11 attacks, Cheney was in the White House while Bush was away. From a secure underground bunker, he helped coordinate the US response and authorized the military to shoot down hijacked planes heading toward Washington. The attacks profoundly shaped his worldview and reinforced his belief in the need for aggressive action to forestall future threats.

In the years that followed, Cheney was a leading advocate for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, arguing that Saddam Hussein’s regime possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaeda. Those claims were later proven false, and subsequent investigations concluded that US intelligence had been exaggerated or misrepresented.

Cheney nevertheless defended his actions, insisting they were based on the best information available at the time and that he would “do it again in a minute.”

Throughout his career, Cheney voiced unwavering support for the State of Israel and its security. In a 2007 address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee........

© The Times of Israel