Joseph Ralston
[6] Former U.S. president Bill Clinton writes in his memoirs My Life that Ralston was used to resolve a potentially sticky situation with Pakistan in which the U.S. would use Pakistani airspace to strike at the Al-Qaeda organization meeting in Afghanistan following the U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.As Clinton writes on page 799 of My Life, "we decided to send the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Ralston, to have dinner with the top Pakistani military commander at the time the attacks were scheduled.[10][5] Defense Secretary William Cohen declared that Ralston's relationship 13 years ago would not "automatically disqualify" him from becoming the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,[11] resulting in accusations of a double standard for high-ranking military officers while lower ranks were punished.Critics said Ralston was using his influence as special envoy to secure large government weapons contracts for arms maker Lockheed Martin where he was on the board of directors.The sale for the F-16's was approved by the United States Congress in mid-October and Turkey's decision in favor of the F-35 JSF was announced on October 25, shortly after Ralston's recent stay in Ankara, ostensibly to counter the PKK.Since the PKK insurgency began in 1983, 30,000 people have died and over 3,000 Kurdish villages have been destroyed, often by U.S. supplied planes.
Hopkinsville, KentuckyUnited States Air ForceGeneralSupreme Allied Commander EuropeVice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffAir Combat CommandAlaskan Command56th Tactical Training Wing68th Tactical Fighter SquadronVietnam WarDefense Distinguished Service MedalAir Force Distinguished Service MedalLegion of MeritDistinguished Flying CrossMeritorious Service MedalAir Medaldefense related corporationsSupreme Allied CommanderNorth Atlantic Treaty OrganizationUnited StatesSpecial EnvoyKurdistan Workers PartyWilliam Cohensquadronnumbered air forcemajor commandChairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffCentral Intelligence AgencyCenter for Strategic and International StudiesDonald RumsfeldAlain RichardNATO headquartersBrusselsGeorge RobertsonWesley ClarkSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropePentagonCentral CommandTommy FranksState DepartmentBill ClintonMy LifePakistanAl-QaedaAfghanistanU.S. Embassy bombingsTanzaniaIndian subcontinentTalibanGeorge W. BushKurdishTurkeyEuropean UnionBush administrationTimken CompanyURS CorporationBoard of DirectorsLockheed MartinAmerican Turkish CouncilTurkishlobby groupJohn M. ShalikashviliKelly FlinnBoston GlobeF-16 Fighting FalconF-35 JSFUnited States CongressPKK insurgency began in 1983Kurdish–Turkish issuecease-fireTurkish governmentIraqi KurdsNorwood, OhioMiami UniversityTau Kappa EpsilonCentral Michigan UniversityCommand and General Staff CollegeNational War CollegeFort Lesley J. McNairJohn F. Kennedy School of GovernmentLaughlin Air Force BaseF-105 ThunderchiefNellis Air Force Base, Nevada67th Tactical Fighter Squadron12th Tactical Fighter SquadronKadena Air BaseWild Weasel354th Tactical Fighter SquadronTakhli Royal Thai Air Force Base66th Fighter Weapons SquadronLightweight Fighter programsTactical Air CommandLangley Air Force Base, Virginia335th Tactical Fighter Squadron4th Tactical Fighter WingSeymour Johnson Air Force BaseUnited States Army Command and General Staff CollegeFort LeavenworthMoody Air Force Baselow observableMacDill Air Force Base, Florida11th Air ForceJoint Task Force-AlaskaElmendorf Air Force Base, AlaskaU.S. European CommandF-105D/F/GF-4C/D/EF-15A/CCommand Pilot Badgeoak leaf clusterAir Force Commendation MedalAir Force Presidential Unit CitationJoint Meritorious Unit AwardOutstanding Unit AwardOrganizational Excellence AwardCombat Readiness MedalNational Defense Service Medalservice starsArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalVietnam Service MedalAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service RibbonAir Force Overseas Long Tour Service RibbonAir Force Longevity Service AwardSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training RibbonLégion d'honneur