The former head of the pentagon will discuss how he. Gates says obama, clinton played politics with iraq war. Robert gates, the f22 raptor and the betrayal of americas air force kindle edition i was somewhat surprised to see the book criticized for some of the very things i thought strengthened his argument. Former defense secretary robert gates heads to the pentagon for a book signing event. In his two years as defense secretary, robert gates has earned high marks for candor and common sense. When robert gates, the only secretary of defense to have served in two successive administrationsone republican, one democraticpublished a. In relating his personal journey as secretary, gates draws us into the innermost sanctums of government and military power during the height of the iraq and afghanistan wars, illuminating iconic figures, vital negotiations, and critical situations in revealing, intimate detail.
The pentagon has to do more than modernize its conventional forces. The book is dotted with insider stuff reminiscent of the best of bob woodward. Defense secretary robert gates book duty, memoirs of a secretary at war are seen in fairfax, va. In a new memoir, former defense secretary robert gates unleashes harsh judgments about president obamas leadership and his commitment to the afghanistan war, writing that by early 2010 he had. Gates says jon stewarts response has been best so far. Jan 07, 2014 former defense secretary gates blasts obama in new book robert gates new memoir reveals his sharp criticism inside closeddoor meetings. Former defense secretary robert gates laughed off the idea of a deep state group secretly running the american government and undermining president trump, as some conservatives allege exists. In his memoir duty, the former defense secretary robert m. You thought my last overhaul of the pentagon was radical. Gates makes triumphant return to the pentagon the line of hundreds of troops and civilians to have robert gates sign a copy of his new book, duty, snaked through stanchions at the pentagon. Jan 07, 2014 hillary clinton and obama admitted they opposed iraq troop surge only to look good politically, claims former defense secretary robert gates in damning new book. Jan 07, 2014 robert gates new book is starting to leak out, and it may give president obama and his aides some heartburn. Former secretary of defense robert gates on his new book. Its hard to see how a cabinet officer could perform well in such an environment.
Robert gates rages against the political machine in his. His announcement came less than 24 hours after president obama spoke on the issue at his first prime time press conference. And chapters in clintons memoir were scoured by national security officials. Gates, defense secretary council on foreign relations. Gates, who plans to retire next year, responded to a question about wikileaks disclosure of 250,000. Gates, now former secretary, will speak at amherst college april 28. One quote shows the radical transformation of the pentagon under robert gates. Robert gates, who led the pentagon for president george w. But curbing the pentagon s appetite for expensive new weapons could be his biggest challenge yet.
Gates on leaks, wiki and otherwise the new york times. Jun 23, 2011 defense secretary robert gates takes his seat to testify before the senate appropriations committee in washington, on june 15, 2011. Robert michael gates is an american statesman, scholar, and university president. Top damaging assessments that will be used in campaign attack ads. In a new and highlyanticipated memoir of his time as pentagon chief, former defense secretary robert gates both celebrates and questions president barack. Gates says the odds are pretty high clintons system was. Former defense secretary robert gates blasts donald trumps willfully ignorant views on national security and says the candidate is unqualified and unfit to be commanderinchief. Gates, a cold war veteran selected to remain as defense secretary, has won bipartisan praise for his pragmatism and handling of the pentagon. Former defense secretary robert gates to speak at amherst. Secretary robert gates listens to opening statements before testifying on the defense budget before a senate armed services committee at.
Michael david barrett will soon be going camping with the federal bureau of prisons bop. Robert gates official portrait ceremony goes on despite. Robert gates criticizes obamawhite house pentagon relations. Thats the message defense secretary robert gates is sending to the armed. He was an officer in the united states air force and worked for more about robert m. Former defense secretary robert gates is defending his criticism of vice president joe bidens record on national security. Memoirs of a secretary at wara strikingly candid account of his experience serving as secretary of defense under both president george w. President obama and hillary clinton slammed by robert gates. Oct 17, 20 view cnn fast facts to learn more about former cia director and former secretary of defense robert gates. He is best known as the 22nd united states secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011, serving under the administrations of president george w. Whistleblower punches a hole in memoir from robert gates.
Gates left the pentagon in 2011 after five years on. Robert gates a passion for leadership read an excerpt of robert gates book, a passion for leadership. Gates book stirs debate on bidens foreign policy creds. Gates, in full robert michael gates, born september 25, 1943, wichita, kansas, u. In his book, duty, gates describes his war on the pentagon to deliver the up. Bush and barack obama gates studied european history at the college of william.
His most recent book covers a particularly turbulent period, from december 2006 to june 2011, when the pentagon was. Memoirs of a secretary at war critics say former defense secretary robert gates new book takes shots at president obama and other members of his cabinet. Robert michael gates born september 25, 1943 is an american statesman, scholar, intelligence analyst, and university president who served as the 22nd united states secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. As i was reading duty, probably one of the best washington memoirs ever, i kept thinking that robert m. Ambivalent obamas right war san antonio expressnews. Philip scott andrews the new york times cia director leon panetta soon will become secretary of defense, taking over washingtons largest and most powerful bureaucracy with a budget that amounts to nearly 60 percent of discretionary federal spending. Defense secretary robert gates and admiral michael mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, arent wasting any time at the pentagon briefing this afternoon immediately beginning with a discussion of the stillsecret report by general stanley mcchrystal, the military commander for afghanistan. Bush but was retained for service by president barack obama. Gates challenged some sacrosanct pentagon spending practices in a speech on saturday, directing both military and civilian officials to find cuts in.
Military defense secretary robert gates says pension and health care costs are eating the u. Gates takes aim at pentagon spending the new york times. That evidently is a fertile frame of mind in which to write a book like this one. Gates, a cold war veteran selected to remain as defense secretary, has won bipartisan praise for his pragmatism and handling of the pentagon amid two.
Gates, front, stands with president barack obama as they listen to the u. Knopf while his rivals at the white house, the state department and the pentagon loudly staked out their positions, gates held back. He was known as a savvy manager of the bureaucracy and a ruthlessly efficient defense secretary. Spoehr added now the pentagon, federal emergency management agency, department of homeland security and health and human services are using. Defense secretary, robert gates, took office monday, with a private swearingin at the white house and a public ceremony later at the pentagon. Jan 19, 2016 gates appeared on the show to promote his new book, a passion for leadership. Gates has regularly denounced wikileaks in recent months for its extensive disclosures, and as a former director of central intelligence he places high value on secrets. Jan 21, 2016 former secretary of defense robert gates joins me in hour three today to discuss his new book a passion for leadership, as well as the iran deal, the north korean provocation, dod acquisition, carriers and ohio class submarines and hillarys server.
Secretary of defense and 2011 liberty medal recipient robert m. Generals live like kings former defense secretary robert gates is bemused that the generals who worked for him lived more lavish lifestyles than he did. Gates provides revelations about major decisions made from late 2006 to 2011. Robert gates has begun signing copies of his book for the hundreds of pentagon employees whove shown up today. Bush and as secretary of defense 200611 in the administrations of presidents george w. Calls for deep cuts in the federal deficit have returned the military budgetnow more than twice the 2001 budget even before counting the wars in iraq and afghanistanto the fiscal chopping.
Jan 26, 2016 robert gates, a republican stalwart and former us defence secretary who served under eight presidents, has derided the partys election candidates for a grasp of national security issues that. While clinton, geithner and gates are hardly the first former officials to publish memoirs, it is unusual for books from three highlevel advisers to come in such rapid succession at this stage in the presidency. Robert gates and why defense secretaries are grumpy stacks of former u. Former defense chief robert gates on wars and washington. Robert gates rages against the political machine in his memoir, duty. The former defense secretary says that obama eventually lost faith in the troop.
Gates was a university president at the time, but had a long history of working with the government, including serving with bush 41 and reagan, carter, ford and serving as head of the cia. Bush presidency, robert gates offers unique perspectives on the soviet unions demise, the gulf war, removing noriega from power in panama, the impact of the cold wars end on eastern europe and latin america, and the political crisis in the philippines. While a graduate student in history at indiana university in the mid1960s, robert gates signed up for a recruiting interview at the cia mostly because it would pay for his trip to washington. Memoirs of a secretary at war, that biden was wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades. Defense secretary robert gates put authority for signing off on dismissals in the hands of the three service secretaries. Live blog on gates at the pentagon the new york times. Book signings at the pentagon are approved by the washington headquarters service, which is the administrative office for defense department facilities in the washington, d. Obama military strategy blasted by robert gates, leon. Among the topics he discussed on hugh hewitts radio show was hillary clintons email scandal. Robert gates was at the pentagon thursday signing his new memoir for a line of several hundred military members and civilian workers that snaked out of the food court into the courtyard. Bob gates transforms the pentagon business insider. Lessons on change and reform from fifty years of public service, which examines how leaders at all levels in both the.
Robert gates born september 25, 1943, american military. But so it went in washington in midjanuary, when erstwhile defense secretary robert gates came to the pentagon to sign copies of his blistering account of his time in the obama administration. He served as secretary of defense under presidents george w. The creation of the pentagon in seventeen whirlwind months during world war ii is one of the great construction feats in american history. Gates was brought on board by bush 43 to help turn around the war in iraq as it was beginning to bog down with casualties and no clear end in sight. Jan 19, 2014 in his memoir duty, the former defense secretary robert m. Gates is the author of duty, and a passion for leadership. The first half of duty describes his interactions with the bush43 administration, congress, and the pentagon brass over strategy. Former defense secretary gates blasts obama in new book us news. Gayl planned to take issue with gates on that, as well as the contribution of others like himself in getting the mraps rolling who go unmentioned in his memoir at his pentagon book signing. Gates blamed biden and other aides for obamas concern that pentagon officers were giving him the bums rush in seeking more troops in afghanistan in 2009, according to.
Memoirs of a secretary of war, during a book signing at the pentagon thursday. Reutersjason reed speaking on nbcs meet the press, former defense secretary robert gates responded to the possibility of a deep state group secretly running the american government to undermine trump and his agenda. Wait til you see what ive got planned for next year. Former defense secretary robert gates signs copies of his new book, duty.
Barrett shot a video of espn reporter erin andrews naked in her hotel room. In my mind, gates has proven himself as the most successful cabinet appointee in the eight years of the bush presidency. Robert gates official portrait ceremony goes on despite hurricane sandy. Robert gates blasts donald trumps willfully ignorant views. Im talking with former secretary of defense, robert gates, whose brand new book, a pasion for leadership, is out, and hes on a book tour, and im very grateful for the time hes given us today to talk about this. With three different positions in intelligence and national security during the george h. Gates believed that he had left washington politics behind for goodbut when he received the call from the white house in 2006 to help a nation mired in two wars, he answered what he felt was the call of duty. In his memoir, robert gates right wrote that president obama did not always live up to budget agreements and suspected top brass of conspiracies against the commander in chief. Yet robert gates did, quickly winning the respect of defense experts on both sides of the aisle and of the men and women who served under him.
Gates served in that position under obama and president george w. Former secretary of defense robert gates wants to talk about his book, a passion for leadership. Princeton philosopher michael walzer uses this quote as. After serving six presidents in both the cia and the national security council, robert m. Im going to come back to acquisition in a second, secretary gates, but you brought up north korea. Robert gates lovehate relationship with the bureaucracy.
Gates began his career serving as an officer in the united states air force but. Gates clearly has no desire to work in the federal government again in his life. Between writing his book and preparing for mondays event, gates said, he had time to reflect on the things and people. Line out the door at pentagon for robert gates book that. June 30, 2011 robert gates and president obama salute during a farewell ceremony for gates as outgoing defense secretary. Reprogramming the pentagon for a new age, foreign affairs, januaryfebruary 2009. Robert gates lovehate relationship with the bureaucracy in memoir, former defense chief says obama failed to give proper credit to career officials, but. Former secretary of defense robert gates on his new book a. Gates returns to the national constitution center to unveil his latest book, duty.
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