Robert gates final west point speech transcript audio video robert gates. He scores several points above the selfseekers out there. Army unit whose mission is to honor our countrys fallen heroes on the most hallowed ground. In duty, on the other hand, robert gates gives us a pretty solid and fair account of his time in office as secretary of defense. National security archive electronic briefing book no. Bush administration 20062009, the obama administration 20092011, the afghan war, and the iraq war. Gates served in that position under obama and president george w. Robert bales, suspected of slaying 17 afghan civilians, was. Former secretary of defense gates doesnt exactly bare all in this politically charged memoir, but he doesnt pull many punches, either. He also served as an officer in the united states air force and worked for.
Some readers will approach this volume with a great deal of. Memoirs of a secretary at war paperback may 12, 2015 by robert m. Secretary of defense william gates, left, tours arlington national cemetery with afghan president hamid karzai in 2010. Former defense secretary robert gates is playing hurt as he plans his book tour for later this month. Robert michael gates may be the antirumsfeld, but contrary to the hopes, or fears, of many who have inferred too much from his moderate demeanor he. Gates takes duty as his title, but the account of his service also brings to mind the other two thirds of the west point motto. Former defense secretary gates blasts obama in new book. Memoirs of a secretary at war, includes passages that criticize obama for expressing doubts in his own afghanistan strategy. Gates is the author of duty, and a passion for leadership. With iraq in a profound downward spiral and many believing that afghanistan could be next, the legacy of robert m. He was also an officer in the united states air force and worked for the cia before being appointed director of the agency. As the only person to rise from entrylevel analyst to director of the cia and to serve on the white house staffs of four presidents, robert gates is uniquely qualified to tell the unprecedented inside story of the cold war.
Memoirs of a secretary at war is a nonfiction book written by robert m. Former secretary robert gates remarks at trump tower former defense secretary robert gates briefly spoke to reporters in the lobby of trump tower following his meeting with november 19, 2015. Gates received a call from the white house in 2006. Gates plans book tour while in neck brace usa today. Memoirs of a secretary at war, a tome about his tours of duty in the obama and bush administrations that is being released tuesday. If a 600page book about how doesnt quite get at why, then a twohour conversation in his study. Signing the deployment orders, visiting hospitals, writing the. Maybe it was the strain of more than four years of signing deployment orders that he knew would lead to the deaths of more young americans. Gates, who served so influentially as secretary of defense during the crucial years 20072011, deserves critical examination. Drawing on his access to classified information and toplevel involvement in policy decisions, gates lays bare the hidden wars and operations the united states waged. The washington posts bob woodward reports gates upcoming book, duty. An extraordinary journey behind the scenes of arlington national cemetery, senator tom cottons sacred duty offers an intimate and. A member of the national security council staff in four administrations, he served eight presidents of both political parties. When i first entered government nearly fortyeight years ago, three television networks and a handful of newspapers dominated coverage and, to a considerable degree, filtered the most extreme or vitriolic points of view.
Gates, age 70, is wearing a neck brace after fracturing a vertebrae during new years day fall at his home. As our name implies, our company was the brainchild of roberto. In his memoir duty, the former defense secretary robert m. Thats not to say that gates is just trying to get the facts out there. Gates served as secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. Twenty percent of activeduty army troops are on at least their third tour of duty to a war zone. Gates pulls few punches as he describes serving under two very different presidents and presiding over two unpopular wars while juggling washington bureaucracy, battles with congress and his determination to provide his troops with everything they needed to succeed and thrive. Defense secretary robert gates book, duty, memoirs of. Gates gives us a forthright, impassioned, sometimes conflicted account of his four and a half years as defense secretary in his fascinating new. Gates provides revelations about major decisions made from late 2006 to 2011. Contact the washington speakers bureau to schedule robert gates as your. Memoirs of a secretary at war, that over 20 years ago when he first met prime minister binyamin netanyahu he formed a.
The former defense secretary says that obama eventually lost faith in the troop. The place to start is gates recently published book, duty. An extraordinary journey behind the scenes of arlington national cemetery, senator tom cottons sacred duty offers an intimate and inspiring. June 30, 2011 robert gates and president obama salute during a farewell ceremony for gates as outgoing defense secretary. In his book, duty, gates talked about how he dodged that question, and his answer will. He wears his duty, though, like a millstone around his neck. Washington has been abuzz this past week over the new memoir by former secretary of defense robert gates. Now secretary gates speaks for himself in his first television interview about his book. Gates, age 70, is wearing a neck brace after fracturing a vertebrae during a new years day. Gates believed that he had left washington politics behind.
Lecture and book signing with former secretary of defense robert gates. Robert gates defense secretary international relations. Former defense secretary robert gates speaks to john dickerson in williamsburg, va. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Colonel gates headed many task forces during his career and completed tours of duty during world war ii, korean war, and the vietnam war in alaska, england. To judge from the pages of his book, many of his expressions of outrage were indeed motivated by selfserving bureaucrats or members of congress who. Memoirs of a secretary at war january 10, 2014 critics say former defense secretary robert gates new book takes shots at. After serving six presidents in both the cia and the national security council, robert m. An extraordinary journey behind the scenes of arlington national cemetery, senator tom cottons sacred duty offers.
Secretary of defense from december 2006 to july 2011. Katie courics first interview as yahoo news anchor goes. Former us defense secretary robert gates has revealed in his new book, duty. Well, i make the point in the book that during most of my career, most of the people involved in at senior levels in the national security council and. The time period is from 2006 to 2011, and includes the george w. He served as secretary of defense under presidents george w. Gates served as secretary of defense under both president george w.
Knopf while his rivals at the white house, the state department and the pentagon loudly staked out their positions, gates held back. Robert gates new book is starting to leak out, and it may give president obama and his aides some heartburn. I had the privilege of getting a signed copy from him at a book signing at that time. Known for our excellent communication with clients, our team of experienced and expert locals will work with you to make your trip unforgettable. Sacred duty by tom cotton overdrive rakuten overdrive.
Robert gates obituary fort walton beach, fl northwest. Gates gates feared congress might again legislate defeat, restricting funding for the surge and forcing an abrupt termination of the war. Gates provides a candid look at his time serving under two presidents who were presiding over two wars. The robert gates file the national security archive. Gates in april 2011 on a visit to irbil, iraq, as secretary of defense. Its clear, from just the first few pages, that the job of the head civilian administrator of the military second to the commander in chief, that is, the president is a thoroughly political one. In his memoir called duty, former united states secretary of defense robert m. Gates was here to discuss and sign copies of his new memoir, duty. Tours by roberto is an italian travel company specializing in tours of tuscany and italy.
Of the books more than 600 pages, perhaps only 10 would reflect badly on either president that he served as pentagon chief. He was known as a savvy manager of the bureaucracy and a ruthlessly efficient defense secretary. Bob gates doubts he would serve in a trump administration. The irancontra scandal, 1991 confirmation hearings, and excerpts from new book safe for democracy. An extraordinary journey behind the scenes of arlington national cemetery, senator tom cottons sacred duty offers an intimate and inspiring portrait of the old guard, the revered u. There have been vast changes in the composition and role of the news media over the decades, and that is a cause for concern as well.
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