William Cohen
20th Secretary of Defense
In office January 24, 1997 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	William J. Perry
Succeeded by	Donald Rumsfeld
U.S. Senator, Maine
In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Bill Hathaway
Succeeded by	Susan Collins
Representative of Maine's 2nd District
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Bill Hathaway
Succeeded by	Olympia Snowe
Born	August 28, 1940 (age 66) Bangor, Maine
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Janet Langhart

William Sebastian Cohen (1940- ) is an author and American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. A Republican, Cohen served as Secretary of Defense (1997-2001) under President Bill Clinton. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1323x1644, 363 KB) Summary The author of this photograph is me, David Shankbone. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... Alternative meaning: William Perry (football) William James Perry (born October 11, 1927) was the U.S. Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from February 3, 1994 to January 23, 1997. ... Captain Donald Henry Rumsfeld, USNR (Ret. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | 1924 births | United States Senators ... Susan Collins smashes champagne over the bow of a ship in a traditional ceremony With fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952 in Caribou, Maine) is an American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... Maine congressional districts since 2003 Maines second congressional district is the larger of Maines two congressional districts, covering most of the state. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... Categories: Stub | 1924 births | United States Senators ... Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe (born February 21, 1947 in Augusta, Maine) is a Republican politician and the senior United States Senator from Maine. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... This article is about the Maine, USA city of Bangor. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... For other uses, see Republican Party (disambiguation) or GOP (disambiguation). ... Janet Langhart, formerly known as Janet Langhart Cohen or Janet Floyd, is a former Black Entertainment Television commentator. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries â€¢ Politics Portal      Politics of the United States of America takes place in a framework of a federal presidential... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries â€¢ Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to... Official language(s) None (English de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... For other uses, see Republican Party (disambiguation) or GOP (disambiguation). ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), concerned with the armed services and The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ...

Early life and education

Cohen was born in Bangor, Maine on August 28, 1940. His father, Reuben Cohen, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant and his mother, Clara, was of Irish-Protestant ancestry. This article is about the Maine, USA city of Bangor. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (Standard Hebrew: sing. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Protestantism is one of three main groups within Christianity. ...

After graduating from Bangor High School in 1958, Cohen attended Bowdoin College, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin in 1962. Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college, founded in 1794, located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. ... // Cum Ladue are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. ... Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... It has been suggested that Professional degree be merged into this article or section. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

While in high school and college Cohen was a basketball player and was named to the Maine all-state high school and college basketball team, and at Bowdoin was inducted into the New England All-Star Hall of Fame. Cohen attended law school at the Boston University School of Law, graduating with a LL.B (law degree) cum laude in 1965. Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is the law school affiliated with Boston University. ... The degree of Bachelor of Laws (or Baccalaureate of Laws) is the principal academic degree in law in most common law countries other than the United States, where it has been replaced by the Juris Doctor degree. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Legal, academic, and early political career

After graduating from law school Cohen was the assistant editor-in-chief of the American Trial Lawyers Association and became a partner in a Bangor law firm. Cohen became an assistant county attorney for Penobscot County (1968-1970). In 1968, Cohen became an instructor at Husson College in Bangor, and later was an instructor in business administration at the University of Maine (1968-1972). The American Trial Lawyers Association, or ATLA, is the leading lobby for the plaintiffs bar in the United States. ... A partnership is a type of business entity in which partners share with each other the profits or losses of the business undertaking in which all have invested. ... A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. ... Penobscot County is a county located in the state of Maine. ... Husson College is a small college located in Bangor, Maine, USA, founded in 1898 which specializes in business and nursing. ... Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a tertiary degree in business management. ... The University of Maine, established in 1865, is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. ...

Cohen served as the vice president of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association (1970-1972) and as a member of the Bangor School Board (1971-1972). Cohen became a fellow at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics at Harvard University in 1972, and in 1975 was named as one of the U.S. Jaycee's "ten outstanding young men." A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. ... John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government is a public policy school and one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. ... The United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees is an organization aimed at individuals aged 18 to 40 to help them in business and their professional careers. ...

Cohen was elected to and served on the Bangor City Council (1969-1972) and became the mayor of Bangor (1971-1972).

House of Representatives and Senate

In the 1972 election, Cohen won election to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Maine's 2nd congressional district, succeeding Democrat William Hathaway, who was elected to the US Senate. The U.S. House election, 1972 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1972 which coincided with the landslide re-election victory of President Richard M. Nixon. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... Maine congressional districts since 2003 Maines second congressional district is the larger of Maines two congressional districts, covering most of the state. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ... Categories: Stub | 1924 births | United States Senators ...

During his first term in Congress, Cohen became deeply involved in the Watergate investigation. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he was one of the first Republicans to break with his party and voted for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. During this time, Time magazine named him one of "America's 200 Future Leaders." The term Watergate scandal refers to a series of events during 1972 and 1974, that gained its name from burglaries of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.. Though then-President Richard Nixon had endured two years of mounting political embarrassments, the... U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, or (more commonly) the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ...

After three terms in the House, Cohen ran for and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978, defeating William Hathaway in his first bid for reelection. Cohen went on to be reelected in 1984 and 1990, serving a total of 18 years in the Senate from 1979 to 1997.

In 1994, Cohen investigated the federal government's process for acquiring information technology, and his report, Computer Chaos: Billions Wasted Buying Federal Computer Systems, generated much discussion. Cohen retired from the Senate in 1996; Susan Collins, who had worked for Cohen, was elected to succeed him. (Maine's other current senator, Olympia Snowe, had also worked for Cohen, while he was in the House.) Susan Collins smashes champagne over the bow of a ship in a traditional ceremony With fellow Maine Senator Olympia Snowe Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952 in Caribou, Maine) is an American politician, the junior U.S. Senator from Maine and a Republican. ... Olympia Jean Bouchles Snowe (born February 21, 1947 in Augusta, Maine) is a Republican politician and the senior United States Senator from Maine. ...

While in the Senate, Cohen served on both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Governmental Affairs Committee (1979-1997) and was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee from 1983-1991 and again from 1995-1997. He also participated in the drafting of several notable laws related to defense matters, including the Competition in Contracting Act (1984), the Montgomery GI Bill Act (1984), the Goldwater-Nichols Act (1986), the Intelligence Oversight Reform Act (1991), and the Federal Acquisition Reform Act (1996). The Committee on Armed Services is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nations military, including the Department of Defense, military research and development, nuclear energy (as pertaining to national security), benefits for members of the military, the Selective Service System and other... The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and accounting measures other than appropriations, the Census, the... The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is dedicated to overseeing the United States Intelligence Community—the agencies and bureaus of the U.S. federal government who provide information and analysis for leaders of the executive and legislative branches. ... The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 (PL 99-433) was a reorganization plan which focused the chain of command in military operations undertaken by the United States Department of Defense. ...

Secretary of Defense

After retiring from the Senate, Cohen was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the position of Secretary of Defense during Clinton's second term, from 1997 to 2001. This appointment was rare because it was one of the few political appointments that crossed party lines in recent history. This is an incomplete list of Political appointees in the United States Government whose party was different from that of the President who made the appointment. ...

As Secretary of Defense Cohen played a large role in directing the United States military actions in Iraq and Kosovo, including the dismissal of Wesley Clark from his post as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Both Operation Desert Fox in Iraq and Operation Joint Guard in Kosovo were launched just months after al-Qaeda carried out the United States embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, in 1998. For other uses of the name Kosovo, see Kosovo (disambiguation). ... Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the central command of NATO military forces. ... Combatants United States, UK Iraq Commanders General Tony Zinni Saddam Hussien Strength 30,500 unknown Casualties none 600-2,000 dead Operation Desert Fox was the military codename for a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from December 16-December 19, 1998 by the United States and United... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... In the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings (August 7, 1998), 257 people were killed and over 4,000 wounded in simultaneous car bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capital cities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. ... Dar es Salaam (دار السلام), formerly Mzizima, is the largest city (pop. ... Nairobi (pronounced )is the capital of Kenya. ...

Nomination and confirmation

On December 5, 1996, President Clinton announced his selection of Cohen as secretary of defense. Cohen, a Republican about to retire from the United States Senate, was the "right person," Clinton said, to build on the achievements of William Perry, "to secure the bipartisan support America's armed forces must have and clearly deserve." In responding to his nomination, Cohen said that during his congressional career he had supported a nonpartisan national security policy and commended the president for appointing a Republican to his cabinet. Secretary of Defense William Perry talks to reporters at Kigali Airport, Rwanda after his arrival to check on status of the relief operation, 1994. ... Security measures taken to protect the Houses of Parliament in London, England. ...

Cohen and President Clinton at The Pentagon, September 1997.

During his confirmation hearings, Cohen said he thought on occasion he might differ with Clinton on specific national security issues. He implicitly criticized the Clinton administration for lacking a clear strategy for leaving Bosnia and stated that he thought U.S. troops should definitely be out by mid-1998. He also asserted that he would resist further budget cuts, retain the two regional conflicts strategy, and support spending increases for advanced weapons, even if it necessitated further cuts in military personnel. Cohen questioned whether savings from base closings and acquisition reform could provide enough money for procurement of new weapons and equipment that the Joint Chiefs of Staff thought necessary in the next few years. He supported the expansion of NATO and looked on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as the most serious problem the United States faced. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1769x2561, 1189 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1769x2561, 1189 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen ... The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located at 48 N. Rotary Road, Arlington, Virginia 22211 (Map). ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco Capital (and largest city) Sarajevo Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Government Republic  - Presidency members Haris Silajdžić1 (Bosniak) NebojÅ¡a Radmanović (Serb) Željko KomÅ¡ić (Croat)  - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzić Independence from Yugoslavia   - Recognized 6 April 1992  Area  - Total 51,197 km² (128th... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America symbol The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a grouping comprising the Chiefs of service of each major branch of the armed services in the United States armed forces. ... Weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a term used to describe a munition with the capacity to indiscriminately kill large numbers of living beings. ...

After confirmation by a unanimous Senate vote, Cohen was sworn in as the 20th Secretary of Defense on January 24, 1997. He then settled into a schedule much fuller than he had followed in the Senate. Routinely he arrived at the Pentagon before 7:00 a.m., received an intelligence briefing, and then met with the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The rest of the day he devoted to policy and budget briefings, visits with foreign and other dignitaries, and to what he termed "ABC" meetings at the White House with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. He also traveled abroad several times during his first months in office. US Capitol Building. ... The United States Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Defense. ... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... Madeleine Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová on May 15, 1937) served as the 64th United States Secretary of State. ... The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. ... Sandy Berger with President Clinton and Madeleine Albright Samuel R. Sandy Berger (born October 28, 1945) served as United States National Security Advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. ...

Defense budget

One of Cohen's first major duties was to present to Congress the Fiscal Year 1998 Defense budget, which had been prepared under Secretary Perry. Cohen requested a budget of $250.7 billion, which represented 3 percent of the nation's estimated gross domestic product for FY 1998. Cohen stressed three top budget priorities: people (recruiting and retaining skilled people through regular military pay raises, new construction or modernization of barracks, and programs for child care, family support, morale, welfare, and recreation), readiness (support for force readiness, training, exercises, maintenance, supplies, and other essential needs), and modernization (development and upgrading of weapon and supporting systems to guarantee the combat superiority of U.S. forces). This meant increasing the funds available for procurement of new systems, with the target set at $60 billion by FY2001. Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate Dick Cheney, R, since January 20, 2001 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R, since January 6, 1999 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of January 4, 2005 elections) Democratic Party Republican Party...

When he presented the FY1998 budget, Cohen noted that he would involve himself with the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which would focus on the challenges to U.S. security and the nation's military needs over the next decade or more. When the QDR became public in May 1997, it did not fundamentally alter the budget, structure, and doctrine of the military. Some defense experts thought it gave insufficient attention to new forms of warfare, such as terrorist attacks, electronic sabotage, and the use of chemical and biological agents. Cohen stated that the Pentagon would retain the "two regional wars" scenario adopted after the end of the Cold War. He decided to scale back purchases of jet fighters, including the Air Force's F-22 Raptor and the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as well as Navy surface ships. The review included cutting another 61,700 active duty service members—15,000 in the Army, 26,900 in the Air Force, 18,000 in the Navy, and 1,800 in the Marine Corps, as well as 54,000 reserve forces, mainly in the Army National Guard, and some 80,000 civilians department-wide. Cohen also decided to recommend two more rounds of base closings in 1999 and 2001. The Pentagon hoped to save $15 billion annually over the next few years to make possible the purchase of new equipment and weapon systems without a substantial budget increase above the current level of $250 billion. Quadrennial review by US military of strategic objectives and threat assesment. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Cold War was the period of protracted conflict and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the late 1940s until the late 1980s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The F-22 Raptor is a stealth fighter aircraft. ... The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a carrier-based fighter/attack aircraft that entered service in 1999 with the United States Navy. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ... USN redirects here. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... Seal of the Army National Guard The Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army. ...

International relations and situations

Secretary of Defense Cohen, General John Tilelli, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea, and a Korean officer walk down the red carpet upon arriving in Korea.

As he settled into office, Cohen knew that unforeseen problems would undoubtedly arise and that he would have to face several that had occupied his immediate predecessors in the Pentagon, among them the question of the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which he supported, and its relationship to Russia. At a summit meeting between President Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin in Helsinki, Finland, in March 1997, Yeltsin acknowledged the inevitability of broader NATO membership. Two months later he agreed, after negotiations with NATO officials, to sign an accord providing for a new permanent council, to include Russia, the NATO secretary general, and a representative of the other NATO nations, to function as a forum in which Russia could air a wide range of security issues that concerned that country. Formal signing of this agreement would pave the way for a July 1997 invitation from NATO to several nations, probably including Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, to join the organization. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3000x2400, 1792 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3000x2400, 1792 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen ... The President of Russia (ru: Президент России is the highest position within the Government of Russia. ... Yeltsin redirects here. ... Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ...

The proposed U.S. missile defense system received attention at the Helsinki summit, where Clinton and Yeltsin agreed to an interpretation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty allowing the United States to proceed with a limited missile defense system currently under development. Specifically, Clinton and Yeltsin agreed to distinguish between a national missile defense system, aimed against strategic weapons, not allowed by the ABMT, and a theater missile defense system to guard against shorter range missile attacks. Some critics thought that any agreement of this kind would place undesirable limits on the development of both theater and strategic missile defenses. The Helsinki meeting also saw progress in arms control negotiations between the United States and Russia, a matter high on Cohen's agenda. Yeltsin and Clinton agreed on the need for early Russian ratification of the Second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) and negotiation of START III to make further significant cuts in the strategic nuclear arsenals of both nations. Missile Defense is a term referring to systems, weapon programs, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. ... The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM treaty or ABMT) was a treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against missile-delivered nuclear weapons. ... START, officially the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was a strategic arms limitation treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

President and Minister of Defense Adolf Ogi (left), of Switzerland, is greeted by Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (right) as he arrives at the Pentagon for an armed forces full honors arrival ceremony on July 28, 2000.

The continuation, at least until mid-1998, of the existing peacekeeping mission involving U.S. forces in Bosnia and the possibility that other such missions would arise worried Cohen, who earlier had expressed reservations about such operations. Humanitarian efforts that did not involve peacekeeping, such as in Rwanda in the recent past, also seemed likely. Other persistent national security problems, including tension with Iraq in the Persian Gulf area, Libya in North Africa, and North Korea in East Asia, could flare up again, as could conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (762x870, 220 KB) Adolf Ogi (Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General and former President of Switzerland) Source: United States Department of Defense File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (762x870, 220 KB) Adolf Ogi (Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General and former President of Switzerland) Source: United States Department of Defense File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this... Adolf Ogi Adolf Ogi (born on July 18, 1942) is a Swiss politician. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

In preparing future budgets, the challenge would be to find the right mix between money for operation and maintenance accounts on the one hand and modernization procurement funds on the other, while facing the prospect of a flat DoD budget of about $250 billion annually for the next decade or so. A relatively new problem that could affect the DoD budget was vertical integration in the defense industry. It occurred on a large scale in the 1990s as mergers of major defense contractors created a few huge dominant companies, particularly in the aerospace industry. They were called vertical because they incorporated most of the elements of the production process, including parts and subcomponents. Cohen and other Pentagon leaders began to worry that vertical integration could reduce competition and in the long run increase the costs of what the Department of Defense had to buy. It has been suggested that Vertical expansion be merged into this article or section. ...

Social issues

Finally, Cohen had to address social issues that engaged the widest public interest. The status and treatment of homosexuals in the military, the role of women in combat as well as in other jobs in the services, racism, and sexual harassment were serious problems, inevitably requiring strong leadership from Cohen and other top civilian and military leaders in the Department of Defense.

Recent years

William Cohen and his wife, author Janet Langhart, August 2006.

On January 5, 2006, he participated in a meeting at the White House of former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreign policy with Bush administration officials. Cohen is presently married to Janet Langhart, who was previously married to Tony Langhart and Dr. Robert Kistner. Cohen filed for divorce with his first wife, Diana Dunn, on Feb. 15, 1987, and married Janet Langhart on Feb. 14, 1996, nearly nine years to the day following the divorce. Janet Langhart was known as the "First Lady of the Pentagon" during Cohen's tenure as Secretary. [1] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2151x1825, 740 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen User:DavidShankBone Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2151x1825, 740 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Cohen User:DavidShankBone Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Janet Langhart, formerly known as Janet Langhart Cohen or Janet Floyd, is a former Black Entertainment Television commentator. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... North façade of the White House, seen from Pennsylvania Avenue. ...

Cohen is also the author of several books, including mysteries, poetry, and (with George Mitchell) an analysis of the Iran-contra affair. Michael Moore spent an episode of his television show The Awful Truth chasing after Cohen to ask him whether his poetry-writing made him too much of a "wimp" to run the Pentagon. George John Mitchell, GBE (born August 20, 1933 in Waterville, Maine) is Chairman of the Walt Disney Company. ... The Iran-Contra Affair (also called the Iran-Contra Matter and Iran-gate) was one of the largest political scandals in the United States during the 1980s. ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... The Awful Truth (1999-2000) was the name of a satirical television show which was directed, written, and hosted by the American film maker Michael Moore, and funded by the British broadcaster, Channel 4. ...

Cohen is currently head of an international business consulting firm located in Washington D.C. called the Cohen Group. He is on the Board of Directors of insurer AIG, and is a Chairman Emeritus of the US-Taiwan Business Council. The Washington Post recently ran an article (May 28, 2006) entitled "From Public Life to Private Business" about Cohen's abrupt transition to the business of Washington lobbying within "weeks of leaving office." It discussed the affairs of the Cohen Group in greater detail and while alleging no specific impropriety, took a generally negative view of the former Senator and Secretary of Defense. Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... American International Group, Inc. ... The US-Taiwan Business Council (Traditional Chinese: 美台商業協會; Pinyin: Měi Tái Shāng Yè Xíe Hùi) is a membership-based, non-profit organization founded in 1976 to foster trade and business relations between the United States and Taiwan. ...

On August 21, 2006, Cohen's fiction novel, Dragon Fire, was released. The plot revolves around a secretary of defense who contends with a potential nuclear threat from a foreign country. He is also set to release a memoir with his wife, author Janet Langhart, entitled Love in Black and White. It is a memoir about race, religion, and the love Langhart and Cohen share over similar life circumstances and backgrounds.^[1] On August 22, 2006, Cohen appeared on The Daily Show to promote his novel. August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The word nuclear means of or belonging to the nucleus of something. ... Janet Langhart, formerly known as Janet Langhart Cohen or Janet Floyd, is a former Black Entertainment Television commentator. ... The Daily Show (currently The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) is a Peabody and Emmy-winning half-hour American satirical news television program produced by and run on the Comedy Central cable television network. ...

On August 25, 2006, William Cohen appeared on Fox & Friends First primarily to promote his new novel, but towards the end of the broadcast declared the following while being interviewed by Brian Kilmeade: "I think there should be a commitment to universal service. I think that only a few people are really committed to this war against terrorism... We ought to have a real call to national service to commit ourselves to some form of public service ... to put us on a war footing mentality". August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Fox & Friends is a morning television show on the Fox News Channel. ... Brian on Fox & Friends Brian Kilmeade (born on May 7, 1964) is a conservative Fox News personality. ... The United States has employed conscription (mandatory military service, also called the draft) several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War. ...

See also

• List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines

This is an incomplete list of Political appointees in the United States Government whose party was different from that of the President who made the appointment. ...

Notes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: William Cohen

• Official biography via the Department of Defense
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...

External links

• Computer Chaos: Billions Wasted Buying Federal Computer Systems. Investigative report of Senator William S. Cohen.
• Biography from the University of Maine
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post

United States Secretaries of Defense
Forrestal • Johnson • Marshall • Lovett • Wilson • McElroy • Gates • McNamara • Clifford • Laird • Richardson • Schlesinger • Rumsfeld • Brown • Weinberger • Carlucci • Cheney • Aspin • Perry • Cohen • Rumsfeld • Gates