''Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security'' is a 1999 book by reporter
Bill Gertz
William D. Gertz (born March 28, 1952) is an American editor, columnist and reporter for ''The Washington Times''. He is the author of eight books and writes a weekly column on the Pentagon and national security issues called "Inside the Ring". Du ...
. It was first published on May 25, 1999 through
Regnery Publishing
Regnery Publishing is a politically conservative book publisher based in Washington, D.C. The company was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947. In December 2023, Regnery was acquired from Salem Media Group by Skyhorse Publishing, with Skyhorse ...
and centers upon the
Clinton administration
Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following his victory over Republican in ...
.
Synopsis
In the book Gertz argues that:
*
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
's foreign policy strategies of "appeasement" with China and Russia have resulted in a betrayal of American interests, leaving "the United States weaker militarily as its enemies grow stronger and the world becomes more dangerous."
*Clinton's policies compromised national security by opposing development of a
missile defense
Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear weapon, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic mi ...
system similar to one the Russians are developing.
*"The Clinton administration's sale of sophisticated computer and satellite technology to China was influenced by campaign contributions to the Democrats from Chinese and American executives."
Reception
Critical reception has been mixed, but has received praise from former
Director of Central Intelligence
The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1946 to 2004, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Se ...
R. James Woolsey, Jr.
Robert James Woolsey Jr. (born September 21, 1941) is an American lawyer who has served in various senior positions. He headed the Central Intelligence Agency as Director of Central Intelligence from February 5, 1993, until January 10, 1995. He h ...
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United Sta ...
wrote a mostly favorable review for ''Betrayal'', commenting that it was a "rather straightforward reporting covering about six years of a dangerously flawed presidency". He also criticized it for "
ependingon government sources leaking classified information" but also stated that "this unfortunate fact only underlines just how corrosive the Clinton administration’s approach has been." The ''
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The ''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists'' is a nonprofit organization concerning science and global security issues resulting from accelerating technological advances that have negative consequences for humanity. The ''Bulletin'' publishes conte ...
'' also commented on Gertz's usage of leaked sources, which they felt weakened the book along with the author's "zeal to blame Bill Clinton for security failings both real and imagined".
References
{{reflist
External links
''Booknotes'' interview with Gertz on ''Betrayal'', May 30, 1999.
1999 non-fiction books
Books about politics of the United States
Books about the Clinton administration
English-language non-fiction books