Leon Panetta was sworn in as the new Defense Secretary on 1 July.The former Member of Congress had been serving as CIA Director.Mr.Panetta will be replaced at CIA by General David Petraeus,U.S. Army,who currently commands the International Security Assistance Force,or ISAF,in Afghanistan.
Mr.Panetta,73,is known for his outspoken manner,in contrast to the quieter ways of his predecessor,the esteemed Robert Gates,who received the Medal of Freedom,the nation's highest civilian honor,from President Barack Obama when he recently retired.
Mr.Panetta laughingly puts his demeanor down to being Italian.One thing is certain:the troops he serves,the world leaders he meets and the adversaries he warns will have no doubt about their standing with the United States and its new Pentagon chief.He wasted no time in addressing all three with his prompt journey to Iraq and Afghanistan.
While Mr.Panetta was traveling,Admiral Michael Mullen,outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,was meeting with the Chinese brass in an effort to restore relations with the People's Liberation Army,as China's military is known.Tensions over North Korea's behavior,Taiwan's defences and the status of the South China Sea have in recent years cast a chill over exchanges between the two strongest armed forces,which had been halted altogether for most of 2010.
Showing posts with label General David Petraeus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General David Petraeus. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
In Tribute:Ambassador Richard Holbrooke
The man who symbolized American diplomacy for more than four decades,Ambassador Richard Holbrooke,has died from complications of epic surgery to repair his torn aorta,the main artery leading from the heart.Dr.Sanjay Gupta said the tear is typically caused by years of high blood pressure in men in their 50s and 60s.Mr.Holbrooke was 69,but had no intention of slowing down at an age when most have at least partially stowed their shingles.
Mr.Holbrooke was a significant associate of Democratic presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Barack Obama,beginning his career at the Saigon embassy in Vietnam,where he served from 1963-66.His greatest achievement was brokering the Dayton Accords in 1995,the peace treaty which ended the Bosnia War,but he also participated in the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War and the reopening of relations with China.
A tough and demanding boss with a vast knowledge of history,Richard Holbrooke knew all the reporters by name and was quite open with them.A man of charisma and great intellect,the tall ambassador was described by those who knew him well as being larger than life and a force of nature who saw the U.S. as a force for good in the world.
Mr.Holbrooke held a number of posts,including Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia,Ambassador to Germany and U.N. Ambassador.His current title was Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan,but he was regarded as the architect of President Barack Obama's policy for that region and worked closely with General David Petraeus,commander of coalition forces in the Afghan War.
General Wesley Clark,U.S. Army Retired,said Richard Holbrooke epitomized everything great and good about U.S. diplomacy and the United States of America.He had a tremendous vision of what Europe was all about.He pushed for NATO alliance enlargement,shifting U.S. policy on the matter.He could always step back from a problem.He was an outstanding leader.We were in awe of what he delivered.
Mr.Holbrooke was a significant associate of Democratic presidents from Lyndon B. Johnson to Barack Obama,beginning his career at the Saigon embassy in Vietnam,where he served from 1963-66.His greatest achievement was brokering the Dayton Accords in 1995,the peace treaty which ended the Bosnia War,but he also participated in the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War and the reopening of relations with China.
A tough and demanding boss with a vast knowledge of history,Richard Holbrooke knew all the reporters by name and was quite open with them.A man of charisma and great intellect,the tall ambassador was described by those who knew him well as being larger than life and a force of nature who saw the U.S. as a force for good in the world.
Mr.Holbrooke held a number of posts,including Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia,Ambassador to Germany and U.N. Ambassador.His current title was Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan,but he was regarded as the architect of President Barack Obama's policy for that region and worked closely with General David Petraeus,commander of coalition forces in the Afghan War.
General Wesley Clark,U.S. Army Retired,said Richard Holbrooke epitomized everything great and good about U.S. diplomacy and the United States of America.He had a tremendous vision of what Europe was all about.He pushed for NATO alliance enlargement,shifting U.S. policy on the matter.He could always step back from a problem.He was an outstanding leader.We were in awe of what he delivered.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Three-War Marine Dies
Lt.General Victor H. Krulak,who led U.S. Marines through three major conflicts,has died in San Diego.In poor health for some time,he was 95.General Krulak won the Navy Cross for his actions in World War II.Leading a diversionary raid in the Pacific theater to mask the Bougainville invasion,he declined evacuation despite being badly wounded.In Korea,he was chief of staff to the 1st Marine Division.During the Vietnam War,he was commander of Fleet Marine Force Pacific,championing the cause of small unit tactics to win hearts and minds.He could thus be seen as a precursor to General David Petraeus,whose surge approach bases troops in Iraqi neighborhoods.His son,General Charles Krulak,served as Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1995-99.Lt.General Krulak's book "First to Fight" is considered a classic of Marine Corps literature.
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