Robert Gates

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Why Gates Should Stay &mdash;and Why He Shouldn't
Why Gates Should Stay
—and Why He Shouldn't
ANALYSIS
Nov 21, 2008 1:25 PM CST

Why Gates Should Stay —and Why He Shouldn't

(Newser) - Conventional wisdom has it that Barack Obama will ask Robert Gates to keep his post as Secretary of Defense, but there’s no conventional wisdom about how wise that is. “It has more minuses than pluses,” opines one ex-Pentagon official, but others disagree. Some pros and cons:
  • Gates
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Noonan: Keep Gates at Pentagon
 
 Noonan: 
 Keep Gates  
 at Pentagon 
OPINION
Nov 21, 2008 9:38 AM CST

Noonan: Keep Gates at Pentagon

SecDef is rock of honesty and competence in chaos

(Newser) - The will-he-won’t-she dance of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is drawing all the attention, but, writes Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal, that’s not the most important Cabinet pick. Instead we ought to watch whether Obama does the right thing and asks Defense Secretary Robert Gates to...

Obama Talks to Gates About Staying at Pentagon

Defense Secretary fulfill talk of bipartisan cabinet

(Newser) - Barack Obama and Robert Gates are negotiating policy issues with a view toward Gates remaining Defense secretary, the Financial Times reports, a move that would make the Bush appointee a key member of a bipartisan cabinet that resembles Abraham Lincoln's “team of rivals.” Gates, a former CIA chief,...

Army Names First Female 4-Star General

Ann Dunwoody is a 33-year veteran of the military

(Newser) - A 33-year Army veteran today became the first woman in US history to be named a four-star general, CNN reports. Ann Dunwoody, 55, will oversee Army Materiel Command, which outfits and equips soldiers. "The Army nurtured me and mentored me, and today the Army offers me the chance to...

Obama Likely to Keep Gates at Defense
Obama Likely
to Keep Gates
at Defense
Nov 11, 2008 10:10 AM CST

Obama Likely to Keep Gates at Defense

But Bush secretary opposes setting a timeline to leave Iraq

(Newser) - Barack Obama is considering asking Robert Gates to stay on as defense secretary, advisers tell the Wall Street Journal. Gates, considered a competent and nonpartisan pragmatist, was brought on to patch things up after Donald Rumsfeld’s tenure at the Pentagon. But while Gates, like Obama, supports an increased presence...

Petraeus Gets New Title, Plans Pakistan Visit

Chief of US Central Command headed to region he oversees

(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus’ first official trip as head of the US military’s Central Command will be to Pakistan, the Tampa Tribune reports. Petraeus was sworn in today at MacDill Air Force base, in Tampa, taking over from Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey. Petraeus’ new responsibilities at Centralcom include planning in...

Pentagon Will Keep Extending Soldiers' Tours

Military will deny exit to some 12K a month through 2009

(Newser) - Soldiers are likely to face involuntary extensions of combat duty throughout 2009, USA Today reports, despite repeated Pentagon promises to rely less on the practice. Roughly 12,000 soldiers are hit with “stop loss”—which forces them to stay in the Army after their commitment has expired—each...

In Kosovo Visit, Gates Walks a Fine Line With Russia

But defense sec says US troops will remain

(Newser) - The US will maintain its current troop levels in Kosovo until at least the end of 2009, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. His trip to Kosovo is the first by an American cabinet member since the republic declared independence in February. The move of support is meant to show...

Gates Apologizes for Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan

US defense secretary expresses 'personal regret' over wayward airstrikes

(Newser) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in Afghanistan today, apologized for recent civilian casualties from military operations, the AP reports. While the US strives for precision in airstrikes against Taliban insurgents, “it is clear that we have to work even harder,” Gates said—even as the coalition commander said...

Petraeus Hands Over Command of Iraq
Petraeus Hands Over Command of Iraq
Sep 16, 2008 2:56 AM CDT

Petraeus Hands Over Command of Iraq

Praises successor Odierno as 'perfect man for the job'

(Newser) - Citing a "long struggle" in Iraq despite his successes, Gen. David Petraeus handed over his command of the country, reports the BBC, amid a smattering of violence that served as a reminder of reversible gains. Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised security gains made on Petraeus' watch as authority was...

US 'Running Out of Time' in Afghanistan: Defense Chiefs

(Newser) - The top US military brass warned Congress today that America needs more troops and a better strategy in Afghanistan, the Washington Post reports. "I am not convinced that we're winning" there, said Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, though he added: "I'm convinced we...

Pentagon Delays $35B Tanker Deal for Next President

Environment too 'highly charged' for fair process; Boeing gets time to rework plan

(Newser) - The Pentagon has put a $35 billion contract for new Air Force refueling tankers on hold, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced today, reasoning that the White House didn’t have enough time left to “complete a competition that would be viewed as fair.” The contract was awarded to...

White House Forced to Rethink Russian Relationship

Georgia action prompts US to reconsider Moscow ties

(Newser) - Russia's military action in Georgia was a rude awakening for the White House, forcing the Bush administration to reconsider the relationship it thought they had, the New York Times reports. President Bush has famously touted Vladimir Putin a reliable friend and diplomatic partner, despite policy differences, but cooperation across a...

Gates Plans to Double Size of Afghan Army

(Newser) - Robert Gates is backing a plan to pump $20 billion into Afghanistan’s army and restructure the command of NATO and US forces, in an effort to revamp the struggling war effort there. With American troops tied up in Iraq, Gates intends to almost double the size of the Afghan...

Terror Will Be No. 1 Enemy for Decades, Warns Gates

New strategy focuses on 'irregular' conflict

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates foresees terrorism remaining the leading threat to America for decades, and calls for the military to prepare for "irregular" warfare rather than conventional conflicts with other nations, reports the Washington Post. While success in Afghanistan and Iraq is crucial, it will not be enough to...

US Nuke Bomb Crew Caught Napping

Sleeping missile crew held secret codes

(Newser) - A three-man US missile crew fell asleep while in possession of  top secret launch codes for nuclear missiles, reports Reuters. It happened earlier this month at a Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota—the same site of a breach last year in which nuclear weapons were erroneously loaded on...

Israel to US: Iran Threat Bigger Than You Think

Barak talks tough, will press case in Washington next week

(Newser) - In the wake of Iranian missile tests, Israel’s defense minister will visit the US for talks next week to press the case that Tehran poses a serious nuclear threat, the Jerusalem Post reports. Yesterday, Ehud Barak suggested that Israel is ready to attack. "We have proven in the...

Pentagon to Re-Open $35B Air Force Tanker Bid

(Newser) - The Pentagon will re-open a $35 billion contract to build the Air Force's fleet of new refueling tankers and pick a new winner by the end of the year, congressional sources say. The Office of the Secretary of Defense—not the Air Force—will oversee the new competition between Boeing...

Bush Could Decide by Weekend to Close Gitmo

Supreme Court's decision has forced administration's hand

(Newser) - President Bush could decide by Saturday to close Guantanamo Bay as a prison for high-value detainees, insiders tell ABC. There is “generally wide agreement” among Bush's top advisers—Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates among them—that Gitmo should eventually be shuttered, but the landmark recent Supreme Court decision undermines...

Pentagon Backtracks, Extends Afghanistan Tours

2,200 Marines will remain another 30 days despite repeated denials

(Newser) - The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is doing combat operations in the volatile south, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather...

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