Former congressman and defense secretary Dick Cheney passed away at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, as confirmed by his family.

Cheney’s influence was pivotal during the presidency of George W. Bush, leading to prolonged military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq and sparking widespread debate over his impact on civil liberties.

Cheney was “a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence and seriousness of purpose to every position he held”.

Neo-conservative ideology

Cheney presided over the Pentagon during the 1990-91 Gulf War, in which a US-led coalition evicted Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

Dick Cheney predicted US forces would be “greeted as liberators” in Iraq. Source: AAP / James Kudla / Sipa USA

As vice president, Cheney brought his neo-conservative ideology to the White House and played a greater role in making major policy decisions than many of his predecessors in the role.

His inaccurate claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction fuelled the drumbeat for war ahead of the 2003 US invasion.