“Secretary of state Colin Powell himself eloquently pointed out the many ways to get at the root of this problem... economic, diplomatic, legal and political, as well as military. A rush to launch precipitous military counterattacks runs too great a risk that more innocent men, women and children will be killed. I could not vote for a resolution that I believe will lead to such an outcome.” MenWayBelieveWellsChildrenStatesProblemRunningPoliticalI BelieveRiskEconomicMilitaryRootsVoteInnocentOutcomesResolutionSecretaryMen WomenEloquenceDiplomaticInnocent Man Author:Barbara Lee
“Every time the Secretary of Defense tries to get a hand on his many intelligence programs, we hear warnings about the dire consequences to liberty. When you look behind those warnings, what you really see is the CIA trying to preserve its perks.” TryingLooksHandsBehindsLibertyMilitaryConsequenceProgramDefensePreservesWarningSecretaryCiaPerks Author:Mark Riebling
“New Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said that he is open to letting transgender people serve in the military. He said there's no reason to prevent people from being generals just because of their privates.” PeopleSaidReasonMilitaryDefenseNo ReasonSecretaryTransgenderCarter Author:Jimmy Fallon
“National Review once opined, many years ago, that, every year, the Nobel peace prize should go to the U.S. secretary of defense: The American military is the number-one guarantor of peace in the world. But maybe something like a Nobel freedom prize would be a more appropriate award for Reagan than a peace prize.” WorldShouldYearsWould BeNumbersMilitaryYears AgoDefenseAppropriatePrizeAwardsReviewsSecretaryNobelAmerican MilitaryNobel Peace Prize Author:Jay Nordlinger
“Hillary Clinton really transformed herself into a national security expert. She decided to join the Senate Armed Services Committee, and she became a real military wonk. She was famous for going to every subcommittee hearing and methodically questioning every lieutenant colonel from the Pentagon about defense procurement or selective service benefits. So that's where she really began to carve out and hone this reputation as a hawk that I think has followed her through the secretary of state years and then into the presidential campaign.” ThinkingYearsRealStatesSecurityMilitaryBenefitsDecidedClintonHearingDefenseCampaignsReputationPresidentialExpertsSenateTransformedQuestioningSecretaryCommitteesNational SecuritySelectiveHawksPentagonColonelsPresidential CampaignLieutenantsProcurementArmed Services Author:Michael Tomasky
“President Bush Sr. and Secretary Baker, way back when, told Gorbachev, "We are not going to advance NATO into Eastern Europe. We're not going to - we're not going to advance NATO into East Germany, if you allow the unification of Germany." Where is that pledge? Where is the logic behind a military alliance, devised in the time of communism, before the Berlin Wall fell, now being in the Ukraine, in Poland, in Estonia, in Latvia and Lithuania? I don't understand.” IfsWayPresidentBehindsMilitaryWallEuropeLogicEastCommunismGermanySecretaryEasternPresident BushAlliancesPledgeUkraineBerlinBack WhenNatoPolandBakersEastern EuropeUnificationBerlin WallGorbachevEast GermanyEstoniaWay Back WhenLithuaniaLatvia Author:Rashid Khalidi
“We've learned something about President-elect [Donald] Trump's choice for secretary of defense. Lawmakers in Congress intend to proper debate over whether retired General James Mattis meets a requirement for civilian control of the military.” ChoicesPresidentMilitaryTrumpCongressDefenseDebateSecretaryRequirementsRetiredCiviliansLawmakersGeneral James Mattis Author:Steve Inskeep
“When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out of the military at least seven years. General [James] Mattis doesn't meet that.” WorldYearsHas BeensSaidWarLawMilitarySevenDefenseWar Of The WorldsDepartmentWorld War IiWorld War ISecretarySeven YearsGeneral James MattisMilitary Experience Author:Steve Inskeep
“The reason we've always had a civilian in that job [Secretary of Defence] is because we really believe that it is policymakers who ought to control the military and not have the military control the military.” BelieveReasonJobsMilitaryOughtSecretaryCiviliansDefence Author:Leon Panetta
“What would you do differently as defense secretary to compensate for this record in which the greatest military in the world, as we are constantly told, doesn't get the job done?” WorldDoneJobsRecordsMilitaryDefenseSecretaryGet The Job DoneGreatest Military Author:James Mattis
“I worked with the Nato Military Committee. The Head of the Luxembourg Armed Forces had equal standing with me, and I had to respect that. He was the leader of the armed forces of a sovereign country. I had to make sure he never thought that I was looking down on them, merely because they had less power than we did. With that kind of approach you can develop bonds of trust. I tried to do the same thing with my colleagues when I was Secretary of State.” KindCountryStatesForceLeaderMilitaryEqualApproachStandingSecretaryCommitteesSovereignColleaguesNatoArmed ForcesLooking Down Author:Colin Powell
“All leaders must be good communicators. But let's be clear, communications is not the same as oratory. Let me give you an example. General George C. Marshall was an exemplary public servant and military officer. He helped mobilize our nation for the Second World War and helped lay the foundation for peace as Secretary of State. He communicated through words, but more loudly through his actions.” WorldGivingWarActionLeaderMilitaryCommunicationLet MeBe GoodServantWar Of The WorldsSecretarySecond World War Author:John Baldoni