On January 5, the Atlantic Council hosted the United Kingdom’s Secretary of Defense Philip Hammond for his first public remarks in the United States.
In his remarks at the Council, Mr. Hammond offered a response to former Secretary Gates’ provocative assessment of NATO and discussed the continuing value of NATO to the national interests of its members in today’s world.
Mr. Hammond was raised in Essex, attending school in Brentwood before going on to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at University College, Oxford. Prior to his election to the House in 1997, he followed a business career in small and medium-sized companies in manufacturing, consultancy, property and construction, and oil and gas, both in the UK and abroad. Mr. Hammond’s previous position was Secretary of State for Transport. Prior to this he held a number of shadow portfolios. His constituency is Runnymede and Weybridge and he is married with three children.
A discussion with
Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Secretary of State for Defense
United Kingdom
Welcome and Introduction by
Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft USAF (Ret.)
Former National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and Bush Sr.
Chairman, Atlantic Council International Advisory Board
Moderated by
Fred Kempe
President and CEO
Atlantic Council
New Atlanticist Blog Analysis
- UK Defense Secretary: No Preemptive Strike on Iran – James Joyner
- UK Defense Secretary: Europe Failing to Meet Responsibilities – James Joyner
Media Mentions
- Force numbers in Europe: Answers expected in Feb. budget proposal – John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
- Obama Returns to Bush Plan for Cutting U.S. Troops in Europe – Viola Gienger, Bloomberg Businessweek
- UK concern over future of US F-35 fighter jets – AFP
- US defence spending: closing the book – The Guardian
- Hammond warns Iran over threat to close oil trade route – BBC News
- U.K. Opposes Pre-Emptive Strike on Iran, Will Act If Hormuz Shut – Viola Gienger and Thomas Penny, Bloomberg Businessweek
- Screws tighten on Iran as big buyers shun its oil – msnbc
- Debt crisis is biggest threat to security of West, says Philip Hammond – James Kirkup, The Telegraph
- UK Warns Iran Over Oil Passageway Threat – AP
- Britain and US to scale down military capability due to debt crisis – Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian
- Military Warning To Iran Over Strait Closure – Mark Stone, Sky News
- Iran Nuclear Crisis: Philip Hammond Warns Tehran Not To Block Shipping Lanes After Fresh Sanctions – Huffington Post
- Britain flags military action against Iran – Thomas Penny, Sydney Morning Herald
- Any Iranian attempt to close Strait would fail-UK – Reuters
- Tehran says will survive new curbs – Gulf Times