Toggle menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Robert Komer: Difference between revisions

From ProleWiki, the proletarian encyclopedia
More languages
(Created page with "'''Robert William "Blowtorch Bob" Komer''' (February 23, 1922 – April 9, 2000) was a CIA officer, a United States National Security Council staffer in the Kennedy administration, was briefly the US Ambassador to Turkey in 1968, and later the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (a Department of Defense position) in the Carter adminis...")
Tag: Visual edit
 
(Added Infobox)
Tag: Visual edit
 
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Robert William "Blowtorch Bob" Komer''' (February 23, 1922 – April 9, 2000) was a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officer, a [[United States National Security Council]] staffer in the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] administration, was briefly the US Ambassador to [[Republic of Türkiye|Turkey]] in 1968, and later the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (a [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] position) in the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration. Komer headed the [[Phoenix Program]] and [[CORDS]] "pacification" program in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>[[Jeremy Kuzmarov|Kuzmarov, Jeremy]]. [https://covertactionmagazine.com/2023/04/03/former-ghanaian-president-kwame-nkrumah-is-no-doubt-rolling-in-his-grave-as-africom-carries-out-military-training-exercises-in-ghana/ “Former Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah Is No Doubt Rolling in His Grave as AFRICOM Carries out Military Training Exercises in Ghana.”] [[CovertAction Magazine]]. April 3, 2023. </ref> Later he became a consultant with the [[Rand Corporation]], writing classified studies on [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] and about rapid-deployment forces in the [[Persian Gulf]], eventually working in the Carter administration.<ref name=":0">[https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html “Robert Komer, 78, Figure in Vietnam, Dies.”] New York Times, April 12, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110619085911/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html Archived Page 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20110621025650/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm Archived Page 2].</ref> He later returned to the Rand Corporation as a defense consultant.<ref>Byrne, Ciar. [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/apr/14/guardianobituaries “Robert Komer.”] The Guardian. April 14, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210211210558/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/apr/14/guardianobituaries Archived] 2021-02-11.</ref>
{{Infobox politician|name=Robert Komer|caption=Komer meeting with [[Lyndon Johnson]]|birth_date=February 23, 1922|birth_place=Chicago, [[Illinois]], [[U.S.]]|death_date=April 9, 2000 (aged 78)|death_place=Arlington, [[Virginia]], U.S.|image=Lyndon Johnson and Robert Komer.jpg}}
 
'''Robert William "Blowtorch Bob" Komer''' (February 23, 1922 – April 9, 2000) was a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] officer, a [[United States National Security Council]] staffer in the [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] administration, was briefly the US Ambassador to [[Republic of Türkiye|Turkey]] starting in 1968, and later the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (a [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] position) in the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration. Komer headed the [[Phoenix Program]] and [[CORDS]] "pacification" program in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>[[Jeremy Kuzmarov|Kuzmarov, Jeremy]]. [https://covertactionmagazine.com/2023/04/03/former-ghanaian-president-kwame-nkrumah-is-no-doubt-rolling-in-his-grave-as-africom-carries-out-military-training-exercises-in-ghana/ “Former Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah Is No Doubt Rolling in His Grave as AFRICOM Carries out Military Training Exercises in Ghana.”] [[CovertAction Magazine]]. April 3, 2023. </ref> Later he became a consultant with the [[Rand Corporation]], writing classified studies on [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] and about rapid-deployment forces in the [[Persian Gulf]], eventually working in the Carter administration.<ref name=":0">[https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html “Robert Komer, 78, Figure in Vietnam, Dies.”] New York Times, April 12, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110619085911/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html Archived Page 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20110621025650/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/12/world/robert-komer-78-figure-in-vietnam-dies.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm Archived Page 2].</ref> He later returned to the Rand Corporation as a defense consultant.<ref>Byrne, Ciar. [https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/apr/14/guardianobituaries “Robert Komer.”] The Guardian. April 14, 2000. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210211210558/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/apr/14/guardianobituaries Archived] 2021-02-11.</ref>


In 1969, while serving as the ambassador to Turkey, Komer's car was overturned and burned by students at the Middle East Technical University in [[Ankara]].<ref>''The New York Times''. [https://www.nytimes.com/1969/01/07/archives/komers-car-burned-by-turkish-leftists.html "KOMER’S CAR BURNED by TURKISH LEFTISTS"] Published 1969.</ref>
In 1969, while serving as the ambassador to Turkey, Komer's car was overturned and burned by students at the Middle East Technical University in [[Ankara]].<ref>''The New York Times''. [https://www.nytimes.com/1969/01/07/archives/komers-car-burned-by-turkish-leftists.html "KOMER’S CAR BURNED by TURKISH LEFTISTS"] Published 1969.</ref>
Line 8: Line 10:
== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Statesian diplomats]]

Latest revision as of 18:46, 16 November 2024

Robert Komer
Komer meeting with Lyndon Johnson
BornFebruary 23, 1922
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedApril 9, 2000 (aged 78)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.


Robert William "Blowtorch Bob" Komer (February 23, 1922 – April 9, 2000) was a CIA officer, a United States National Security Council staffer in the Kennedy administration, was briefly the US Ambassador to Turkey starting in 1968, and later the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (a Department of Defense position) in the Carter administration. Komer headed the Phoenix Program and CORDS "pacification" program in the Vietnam War.[1] Later he became a consultant with the Rand Corporation, writing classified studies on NATO and about rapid-deployment forces in the Persian Gulf, eventually working in the Carter administration.[2] He later returned to the Rand Corporation as a defense consultant.[3]

In 1969, while serving as the ambassador to Turkey, Komer's car was overturned and burned by students at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.[4]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Komer was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Harvard in 1942, served in the Army in the Second World War, and, after having graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1947, joined the newly-formed CIA.[2]

References[edit | edit source]