Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1789830 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Amazon.co.uk 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

Synopsis
A retired Air Force colonel shares his personal insights into the foreign affairs failures of the Clinton administration, from his inattention to basic presidential duties to his scorn for men in uniform.

Customer Reviews

A Very Poor Commander In Chief
In DERELICTION OF DUTY Lt. Col. Patterson describes his experiences in the Clinton White House as one of the keepers of the little black bag known as the "nuclear football."

He was stationed at the White House from 1996 until 1998.

Patterson portrays at least two instances when President Clinton shows a serious disregard for national security. One situation involves a missed opportunity to attack Osama Bin Laden because Clinton does not want to stop watching a golf tournament. Another time Clinton loses the nuclear codes which are never found.

Perhaps the most important revelation of the book concerns the entrenched anti-military attitude prevalent among Clinton, Gore and the entire White House Staff. Some of the occasions reflecting this mood may seem merely childish such as requiring military aides to carry Clinton's golf clubs. The real problem is that the anti-military bias resulted in policies which have long-term consequences for American national security.

The legacy of the Clinton presidency described in DERELICTIONS OF DUTY demonstrates the widespread damage done to American military and intelligence capabilities during the eight irresponsible years of the Clinton-Gore reign. Americans need to be very thankful that Clinton is no longer their commander-in-chief.