Exceptional (46 page)

proliferation of,
2
,
187
,
237
,
251
–55

Reagan and,
85

and restoring American power,
251
–55

terrorism and,
101
,
220
,
252
,
254

Truman and,
216

and U.S. military as an option,
255

and U.S. as “nuclear umbrella,”
187
,
219
,
252

See also
nuclear agreement, U.S.-Iran (2015); nuclear framework agreement, U.S.-Iran (2013);
specific nation or treaty

nuclear program/weapons, U.S.

Clinton's (Hillary) comments about,
200
–201

and education of specialists,
237

inspections and,
201

Kennedy and,
232
,
252

loss of preeminence of,
216
–19

modernizing and upgrading,
236
–37,
253

as nuclear umbrella for other nations,
187
,
219
,
252

Obama and,
125
–26,
201
,
204
,
252

and restoring American power,
236
–37,
252
,
253

size of,
94
,
125
–26,
200
–201,
204
,
219
,
232

and Soviet-U.S. relations,
232

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,
68

Nunn, Sam,
78

Obama, Barack

and American exceptionalism,
2
,
126

apologizes for America,
128

assessment of American foreign policy by,
124

and bipartisan tradition of maintaining American supremacy and leadership,
3

as diminishing American power,
3

elections of 2008 and,
112
,
123
,
131
,
147

elections of 2012 and,
146
,
151
,
153
–61,
199

and ending wars,
131
,
138
–53,
156

foreign policy of,
3
,
71

goals/objectives of,
137
–38,
148
,
225

inaction of,
170

inaugural address of,
171

legacy of,
226

politics and,
149
,
151
,
153

and restraint of American power,
3

State of the Union Address (2012) of,
146
–47

and U.S. as creator of world problems,
123
–24,
125
–26

world tour of,
125
–26

worldview (vision) of,
3
,
127
–28,
196
,
205
,
208
,
225

See also specific person or topic

Odierno, Ray,
117
,
140
–41,
210
,
212

Office of Navel Intelligence, U.S.,
222

Ogburn, Charlton Jr.,
35

Ohrdruf-Nord concentration camp,
33

oil,
184
,
190
,
237
,
251

Okinawa: in World War II,
5
,
36

Oklahoma City bombing,
101

Omaha Beach: in World War II,
6
,
28
,
31

Oman: and Iran-U.S. relations,
184
–85

Omar, Mullah,
102
–3

Operation Desert Shield,
95

Operation Desert Storm,
70
,
78
–79,
91
–93,
95
,
109
–10,
113

Operation Torch (1942),
25

Oppenheimer, Robert,
34

Orszag, Peter,
209

Ortega, Daniel,
127

Pahlavi, Reza (shah of Iran),
78
,
173
,
180

Pakistan,
148
,
152
,
155
,
241
,
252

Palestine: British forces in,
53

Panetta, Leon,
109
,
132
,
165
,
251

Patriot Act,
177

Patton, George,
33

Paulson, Hank,
176

Pearl Harbor,
21
,
22
,
29
,
93
,
100

Pelosi, Nancy,
116

Pentagon

September 11 bombing of,
100
,
105
,
119

See also
Defense Department, U.S.

perestroika,
85

Pershing III intermediate-range ballistic missile,
251

Petraeus, David,
117
,
151

Philippines: in World War II,
24

Pillsbury, Michael,
223

“pivot to Asia,”
214
–15,
220
–24,
249

Pointe du Hoc (France),
5
,
28
,
31

Poland

German invasion of,
11
–12,
29

John Paul II's pilgrimage to,
79
–82

missiles and,
126
,
197
,
198
–99,
250

as NATO member,
53

Obama's comments about,
126

Russia and,
197
,
198
–99,
204

Solidarity in,
82
,
86

Soviet invasion of,
127

U.S. relations with,
199

politics

Afghanistan War and,
149
,
151

and ending wars,
153

Obama and,
149
,
151
,
153

Poroshenko, Petro,
202

Portugal,
52

Potsdam Declaration,
37
,
38

Powell, Colin,
97

power grid, U.S.,
236
,
237
,
247

preemption principle,
101

presidents, U.S.

and indispensable nature of American power,
2

and restoring American power,
232
–55

See also
specific president or topic

private sector: and financing of illicit activities,
176
,
245

Putin, Vladimir,
100
,
194
–95,
196
–97,
199
–200,
202
,
203
,
204
,
249
,
250
,
258

Qaddafi, Muammar,
116
–17,
163
,
254

Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR),
213
,
234
,
235
,
250

Quds Force (Iran),
173
,
174
,
243
,
244

RAND Corporation study,
154
–55

Rangers, U.S.,
28
,
31
,
97
,
103
.
See also
military, U.S.

Rayburn, Sam,
32

readiness requirements, DOD list for,
234

Reagan, Ronald

and appeasement,
171
,
258

Berlin and,
72

at Brandenburg Gate,
85
–86

British Parliament speech of,
82
–83

Carter policies comments by,
79

as Cold War leader,
88

communism comments of,
43

D-Day speech of,
6
,
31

defense spending and,
83
,
84

détente policy and,
72
,
82

and elections of 1980,
79

Gorbachev and,
84
–85,
193
,
218

and Hitler's attack on Great Britain,
17

INF Treaty and,
85
,
201
–2,
218

and Iranian hostages,
79

missiles and,
83
–85

National Association of Evangelicals speech of,
83

as negotiator,
253

and nuclear weapons,
56
,
85

as presidential role model,
232

religion and,
83

and safeguarding American history,
5

Soviet Union and,
72
,
82
–86,
218

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and,
83
–85,
253

and strength of defense of U.S.,
207
,
226

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258
,
259

red line, Obama's: for Syria,
164
–65,
186
,
202
,
242

Regional Defense Strategy (U.S. Defense Department),
94
–95,
248

regional threats, and restoring American power,
242
–43,
248

religion

communism and,
79
–82

Reagan's comments about,
83

Republic of Fear
(Makiya),
110

Reston, James “Scotty,”
63
–64

Revel, Jean François,
3

Reville, John,
28

Reykjavik, Iceland: Gorbachev-Reagan summit in,
85
,
193

Rhodes, Benjamin,
159
,
188

Rice, Condoleezza,
177

Rice, Susan,
156
,
157
,
159
,
183

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: bombing of National Guard building in,
96
,
98

Robb-Silberman Commission,
114

Roberts, Andrew,
2
,
22
,
40
,
51

Rockefeller, Jay,
115
–16

Romney, Mitt,
146

Roosevelt, Franklin

“Arsenal of Democracy” comment of,
2
,
10
,
19
,
258

Churchill's letter to,
17
–18

Churchill's meeting with,
22

and D-Day,
29
,
40

death of,
32
,
33

fireside chats of,
9
–10

as great political thinker,
4

and Lend-Lease program,
18
–19,
21

Marshall and Morgenthau meeting with,
14
–16

and Nazi expansion in Europe,
12

and need for building and equipping U.S. Army,
14
–16

North Africa campaign and,
25

as
Time
Man of the Year,
23

and Truman as vice president,
32

and U.S. aid in World War II,
17
–19,
21
,
226
–27

and U.S. as “last best hope of earth,”
258

and U.S. leadership in World War II,
40

and U.S. role in world,
226
–27

Rouhani, Hassan,
175
,
190

Rubaie, Mowaffak al-,
142

Rusk, Dean,
53

Russert, Tim,
100

Russia

and American leadership and supremacy,
3

and appeasement,
171
,
194
–205

Baltic states and,
203
,
204
,
220
,
249
,
250

Budapest Memorandum and,
250

Bush (George W.) and,
195

Central Europe and,
197
–98

China and,
224

Crimea and,
202
,
203
,
204
,
212

Czechoslovakia and,
197
,
198
–99

and decline in U.S. influence,
224
–25

Denmark and,
204

Europe and,
196
–98,
203
,
249

European dependence on energy supplies from,
237
,
251

European leaders letter to Obama about,
197
–98

expansion of,
194
–95,
212
,
249
–50

Georgia invasion by,
197

INF Treaty and,
201
–2,
204
,
218
,
251
,
253

inspections of nuclear program in,
201

and Iran,
182
,
183
,
204

Lithuania and,
204

and Middle East,
204

missiles and,
197
,
198
–99,
201
–2,
216
–17

moral similarities between U.S. and,
196

and New START Treaty,
200
–201,
216
–17,
251

nuclear program/weapons in,
200
,
201
–2,
203
–4,
217
,
218
,
252

Obama and,
126
,
202
,
203
,
218

Obama's visit to,
195
–97

oil in,
237
,
251

Poland and,
197
,
198
–99,
204

Putin's goals for,
194
–95,
196
–97,
204
,
249

“reset” of U.S. relations with,
195
,
197
,
204
–5

and restoring American power,
233
,
242
,
249
–50,
252
,
253