Aspin, Les, Jr.

Aspin, Les, Jr.
▪ 1996

      U.S. politician (b. July 21, 1938, Milwaukee, Wis.—d. May 21, 1995, Washington, D.C.), was a Democrat from Wisconsin who won election in 1970 to the U.S. House of Representatives as an opponent of the Vietnam War. Later, while serving (1985-92) as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, he supported the development of the multi-warhead MX missile and U.S. funding for the contra rebels attempting to overthrow the Marxist government in Nicaragua. Aspin also served as Pres. Bill Clinton's embattled defense secretary for 11 months until his resignation in 1994. In the latter post Aspin gained a reputation for indecisiveness. While attempting to implement Clinton's campaign promise to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military, Aspin developed the unsatisfactory "don't ask, don't tell" compromise. He broadened the combat role of women and was widely praised for his initiative to restructure the U.S. military in a post-Cold War climate, but he failed to fortify U.S. troops in Somalia just weeks before 18 U.S. soldiers died there in a raid, an inaction that led to his resignation under pressure. Aspin, who earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served as one of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's "whiz kids" at the Pentagon. He then returned to Wisconsin and was elected to the House of Representatives. After earning a position on the Armed Services Committee, Aspin made a name for himself by issuing frequent bulletins about financial mismanagement in the Pentagon. At the time of his death, Aspin was chairman of the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a committee established to scrutinize U.S. intelligence agencies.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Les Aspin — Leslie Aspin Jr. (* 21. Juli 1938 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; † 21. Mai 1995 in Washington D.C.) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und US Verteidigungsminister während der Präsidentschaft von …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Les Aspin — Les Aspin. Leslie Aspin Jr. (*21 de julio de 1938 –† 21 de mayo de 1995) Político estadounidense. Secretario de Defensa de EE. UU. (1993 1994). Origen y formación Nacido en Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Graduado summa cum laude en Historia por la Un …   Wikipedia Español

  • Les Balcons D'Aspin Residence Lourdes (Lourdes) — Les Balcons D Aspin Residence Lourdes country: France, city: Lourdes (Aspin en Lavedan) Les Balcons D Aspin Residence Lourdes Les Balcons D Aspin Residence is located 3 minutes from Lourdes, Le village D Aspin is a restful & amazement place in a… …   International hotels

  • Les Aspin — Les Aspin, le 12 mars 1993. Leslie Aspin Jr. (né 21 juillet 1938 à Milwaukee dans le Wisconsin et décédé le 21 mai 1995 à Washington), est un politicien américain. Me …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Aspin — may refer to: *Aspin en Lavedan, village and commune in the Hautes Pyrénées, France *Aspin valve, an automotive component *Les Aspin (1938–1995), US Congressman and Secretary of Defense *Neil Aspin (born 1965), English footballeree also*Aspen… …   Wikipedia

  • Aspin — ist der Name folgender Personen: Les Aspin (1938–1995), US amerikanischer Politiker (Demokrat), Verteidigungsminister Michael Aspin (* 1989), englischer Fußballspieler Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung m …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Les Aspin — Infobox US Cabinet official name=Les Aspin imagesize=130px order=18th title=Secretary of Defense term start=January 21, 1993 term end=February 3, 1994 predecessor=Dick Cheney successor=William J. Perry birth date=birth date|1938|7|21|mf=y birth… …   Wikipedia

  • Leslie Aspin — Les Aspin Leslie Aspin jr. (* 21. Juli 1938 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; † 21. Mai 1995 in Washington D.C.) war US Verteidigungsminister während der Präsidentschaft von Bill Clinton vom 21. Januar 1993 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Aspin-Aure — 42° 55′ 59″ N 0° 20′ 28″ E / 42.9331, 0.3411 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Aspin — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Toponyme des Hautes Pyrénées Col d Aspin : col de montagne des Pyrénées (alt. 1 489 m), situé dans le département français des Hautes… …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”