His previous book "From the Shadows" was published in 2007 while he was still serving his tenure as secretary of defense. In "From the Shadows" Gates skillfully analyzed the foreign policy strategies of American presidents Nixon through Bush from a security-centered point of view. "From the Shadows", which critically examined relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Cold War between 1968 and 1989.
Gates is a strong figure in Washington who is well respected by both Republicans and Democrats. Gates is the only secretary of defense in 20th-century American history to have retained this post successively under presidents from opposing parties. Gates took over as secretary of defense in 2006 during the Republican presidency of Bush and kept his post during the presidency of Democrat Obama until 2011. Before becoming secretary of defense, Gates served as director of the CIA between 1991 and 1993 and before that as advisor to four U.S. presidents on security and intelligence issues.
Gates' memoir has generated wide debate in the US. Gates' criticism of Obama has caused strong reactions and shaded the praise that Gates gives for the president, especially since it comes at a time when President Obama's approval rating from the American public has reached its nadir! Gates criticizes Obama about Afghanistan war "the president doesn't trust his commander, can't stand Karzai, does not believe in his own strategy, and does not consider the war to be his, for him, it's all about getting out" also Gates adds about Obama "running out of patience and seething" "fed up, always bored and deeply suspicious". Oddly, Gates also indicates that administrative staff at the White House and the State Department had a much more troubled and unmanageable relationship with Obama than with President Bush. On the other hand Gates describes Obama "the most deliberative president I worked for"
Gates also mentions that Obama and Hillary Clinton had a serious split in opinions regarding the Iraq issue and that Obama always sided with Vice President Biden, who Gates says "wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades". It should be noted that Vali Nasr, current dean of School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, who also served as an advisor to Obama Administration, shares Gates' opinions on the Clinton-Obama conflict as well as Biden. Nasr, whom I had an opportunity to meet with recently in Washington to discuss his book on American foreign policy, "The Dispensable Nation", tells an insider's story strikingly similar to Gates' revelations.
In his memoir Gates complains most about the rustiness of Washington's bureaucratic structure to him "very rude, nasty and stupid." He says that he was "outraged by legislators' parochialism and their political bullshit".
Gates' memoir includes several anecdotes about Turkey. He recalls meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan, whom he found "very cautious" about the matter of Iran, and quotes Erdogan as saying that "the United States should avoid any movements that might provoke Iran" and "no country should be denied the right to nuclear technology for peaceful means." Gates explicitly and harshly criticizes Israel over the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident,which caused a crisis between Turkey and Israel. He concludes that Israel's "strategically stupid" policies has created a "more isolated Israel". He adds "I believe Israel's strategic situation is worsening, its own actions contributing the isolation." "I, as a very strong friend and supporter of Israel, believe that Tel Aviv needs to think a new about its strategic environment". He also mentions in a critical tone that the United States has become "the hostage of Israel" on issues involving the Middle East.
Gates apparently worried about the hidden relations between the pro-Israel Neocons- Israel and the Saudis. He describes Vice President Dick Cheney's relations with the Saudis and Israelis "they(Saudis and Israelis) have direct pipeline(Cheney) to the White House". He especially shows his discomfort regarding Saudi King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Netenyahu. He describes Netenyahu whom he does not trust in slightest " his arrogance and outlandish ambition"
He discloses that it was seriously disturbing that Israel and Saudi Arabia were pressuring the U.S. from two sides to convince President Bush to launch an attack against Iran. In fact, Gates tells the truth about Iran. He states that while Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Dick Cheney were pressing for a strike on President Bush, he had warned President Bush several times that he was against the strike on Iran by saying "my determination to avoid any new war while we were still engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan." Gates also reveals that it was very troubling when Saudi King Abdullah crossed the line of diplomatic courtesy in talking about attacking Iran with Gates. Gates says "the longer he talked, the angrier I got"
More importantly, Gates sincerely declares the truth that I have been trying to tell for years: "The United States has never seriously considered a strike on Iran during either Bush's or Obama's presidency."
