Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How President Bill Clinton Compromised America's Long-Term National Security

Patterson, Robert

ISBN 10: 0895261405 / ISBN 13: 9780895261403

Published by Regnery Publishing, 2003

A clean, cared for item that is unmarked and shows limited shelf wear. Seller Inventory # 4BQGBJ014BAV

Synopsis:

Lt Col Robert 'Buzz' Patterson exposes the terrifying, behind-the-scenes story of the years when the most irresponsible President in our history had his finger on the nuclear trigger. This is the inside story of the damage Bill Clinton did to the US military and how he compromised national security. From his laughable salutes, to his arrogant, anti-military staffers, the message came through loud and clear: the Clinton Administration had nothing but contempt for America's men and women in uniform. For two years, Patterson was the White House military aide who carried the 'nuclear football', which provides the President with remote nuclear strike capabilities. What he witnessed is shocking.

Review: Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson, author of Dereliction of Duty, was a military aide to President Clinton from May 1996 to May 1998 and one of five individuals entrusted with carrying the "nuclear football"--the bag containing the codes for launching nuclear weapons. This responsibility meant that he spent a considerable amount of time next to the president, giving him a unique perspective on the Clinton administration. Though he arrived at the job "filled with professional devotion and commitment to serve", he left believing that Clinton had "sown a whirlwind of destruction upon the integrity of our government, endangered our national security, and done enormous harm to the American military in which I served."

Dereliction of Duty is not a personal attack on President Clinton or a commentary on his various scandals; rather, it is a "frank indictment of his obvious--to an eyewitness--failure to lead our country with responsibility and honor." Lt Col Patterson offers a damning list of anecdotes and charges against the President, including how Clinton lost the nuclear codes and shrugged it off; how he stalled and lost the opportunity to launch a direct strike on Osama bin Laden at a confirmed location; how the President and the First Lady, and much of their staff, consistently treated members of the military with disrespect and disdain; and how Clinton groped a female Air Force enlisted member while aboard Air Force One, among other incidents large and small. A considerable portion of this slim book is devoted to the myriad ways in which President Clinton undermined the military, and hence the security, of the nation. He seriously questions Clinton's decisions to send troops to Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti and Bosnia to accomplish non-military tasks without clear objectives. Having participated in each of these engagements, Lt Col Patterson personally "experienced the frustration of needlessly wasted lives, effort and national prestige" as well as the alarmingly low morale that Clinton inspired.

This is certainly not the first anti-Clinton book, but it is different in that Patterson does not seem to have a political axe to grind. In fact, at times, he appears apologetic about having to write about his ex-commander in chief. Yet, in the end, this retired soldier felt his last act of service should be to share his experience with his country. --Shawn Carkonen, Amazon.com

Bibliographic Details

Title: Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account ...
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
Publication Date: 2003
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good