Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates criticizes Vice President Joe Biden in a new memoir about to be released. He also claims that President Barack Obama had lost some faith in his Afghanistan strategy. The White House has been quick to respond to the excerpts that were published, defending Biden.

In Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Gates reportedly suggests that Obama had serious doubts about the war in Afghanistan, even as he ordered more troops to be sent there at the beginning of his administration. “I never doubted Obama’s support for the troops, only his support for their mission,” Gates writes in the book, reports The Washington Post.

Gates notes that Obama had a different worldview than his and Obama was often distrustful of the military commanders. Obama had remained uncomfortable with his inherited wars, especially Iraq, which he had voiced opposition to before taking office. It took months for Obama to come to the agreement with Gates and other advisers to send more troops to Afghanistan before the phased withdrawal started in 2011, Gates wrote.

According to the New York Times, Gates questions Biden’s judgement, although he does call him a “man of integrity.” He wrote, “I think he [Biden] has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

Gates did have some praise for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but he did write about Clinton’s relationship with Obama, as the two were rivals during the 2008 Presidential campaign.

National Safety Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden did issue a statement, saying that the president “deeply appreciates Bob Gates' service as Secretary of Defense, and his lifetime of service to our country,” reports the Huffington Post. However, Obama doesn’t agree with Gates’ evaluation of Biden.

“...From his leadership on the Balkans in the Senate, to his efforts to end the war in Iraq, Joe Biden has been one of the leading statesmen of his time, and has helped advance America’s leadership in the world,” Hayden said. “President Obama relies on his good counsel every day.”

Gates, who did offer some praise for Obama and his administration, retired in 2011. His book comes out on Jan. 14.

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