On his last visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary, an emotional Robert Gates assured U.S. forces there he would never forget them or his role in deploying them.
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Gates chokes up in thanking troops
FORWARD OPERATING BASE WALTON, Afghanistan — A soon-to-begin U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan should leave combat power intact as long as possible to press an anti-Taliban offensive, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday. He said support troops should go first. On his final trip to assess a war in its 10th year, Gates told soldiers the endgame in Afghanistan is more likely to turn out well if the drawdown promised by President Barack Obama begins with an emphasis on removing noncombat forces rather than the infantry and others still trying to cement recent gains against a resilient Taliban. Read full article > >
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Gates: Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan should leave combat power intact as long as possible
US troops could if required stay in Iraq beyond the agreed withdrawal date of 31 December, 2011, US defence secretary Robert Gates says.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to head to northern Iraq on Thursday, where he will meet with U.S. forces and Iraqi government leaders.
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Gates’ last Iraq trip as defense chief?
On Friday I received a message from Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell. I promptly returned the call and provided him with contact information. I heard nothing until this afternoon. Morrell was plainly annoyed about my post last week concerning Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s congressional appearance, using profanity to describe my earlier reporting. Morrell said he was calling those who picked up on Gates’s testimony that there would be no “boots on the ground” in Libya — “Not as long as I am in this job.” He repeatedly stressed that there were many statements during Gates’s hours of testimony that showed this was the president’s policy. If so, why would Gates imply he’d be compelled to depart if that policy changed?
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Gates’s spokesman does damage control
In addition to his scheduled meeting with General Stanley McChrystal and Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Monday to discuss a new American-led offensive in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ unannounced trip also included a press…
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Gates: Killing of Afghan Boys a "Setback"
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrives in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on an unannounced visit, amid renewed tension over the issue of civilian casualties.
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US defence chief in Afghan visit
Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Wednesday that a no-fly zone in Libya may not be the best solution, saying it would require “a big operation in a big country.” “Let’s just call a spade a spade,” Gates said. “A no-fly zone begins with an attack on…
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Gates Wary of No-Fly Zone in Libya
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, however, that two ships and 400 Marines were being sent to the region. On Wednesday, the U.S. warships entered the Suez canal.
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Gates Plays Down Idea of U.S. Force in Libya
Some strong words from Robert Gates: The defense secretary said Friday it would be a terrible idea for the U.S. to begin another military conflict. “In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land…
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Gates: No More Mideast Wars
Now that the Obama administration has dealt with the Egyptian uprising, it’s time for the next foreign policy tightrope act: Bahrain. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and other officials urged restraint Thursday,…
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U.S. Walks Fine Line With Bahrain
The Obama administration is expected to return to hold military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, an about-face for the White House, which put a ban on such commissions following the president’s inauguration. If Defense Secretary Robert Gates does lift an…
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Gitmo Cases Back in Session
Fifty years ago this Monday, President Dwight Eisenhower gave a farewell address in which he famously warned of the dangers of influence on our government by the “military industrial complex.” Our current Secretary of War, Robert Gates, has proposed to retire this year and has recommended that his successors stop increasing the military budget. But Eisenhower didn’t just bring this up on his way out the door. read more
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What Eisenhower Got Wrong
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says North Korea poses a potent threat and has grown “more lethal” to its neighbours and the world.
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Gates warns of North Korea threat
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates visits China’s nuclear warfare headquarters at the end of a visit to try to mend relations between the two militaries.
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Gates visits China nuclear base
Gates: Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan should leave combat power intact as long as possible
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
