Robert Gates news stories on Newser

Obama Gives Retiring Gates Medal of Freedom

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:20:39 CDT

President Obama today honored outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates' four decades of service, including the past 4 1/2 years in charge of the Pentagon, by surprising him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US honor a president can give a civilian. "I can think of no better way...

What We've Learned From Robert Gates

Matt Cantor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:20:12 CDT

With Robert Gates, who has served eight presidents over four decades, about to retire, the Washington Post looks back at how Gates operated in the Pentagon. He’s been “careful, conservative, and consensus-oriented,” writes Greg Jaffe, and he’s “earned a reputation as the most ruthlessly efficient defense secretary in decades.” So...

Robert Gates: Taliban Talks 'Preliminary'

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 11:51:23 CDT

Robert Gates confirmed today that the US is in "preliminary" talks with the Taliban, reports the Hill, cautioning that they've only been going on for a "few weeks." Appearing on State of the Union and Fox News Sunday, the outgoing defense secretary said the State Department was handling talks—though...

Pentagon: Wait Til Fall 2012 to End Afghanistan Surge

Matt Cantor — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:13:37 CDT

The military has called on President Obama to keep the Afghanistan troop surge in place until the fall of next year, ensuring that many of the 33,000 extra troops remain in the country for the next two fighting seasons, when the weather is warm. The military wants to avoid...

Pakistan Army Rails Against US Ties

Kevin Spak — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:46:03 CDT

The US-Pakistan security alliance has deteriorated so badly that Pakistani officers actually jeered top general Ashfaq Kayani at a town-hall-style meeting last month, demanding to know why Pakistan still supports US policy, officials tell the Washington Post . That kind of open criticism “is something no Pakistani military commander has ever...

Gates: NATO Full of Freeloaders

Kevin Spak — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:39:27 CDT

Robert Gates had some harsh words for NATO today, saying that many of the US’ allies are “apparently willing and eager for American taxpayers to assume the growing security burden left by reductions in European defense budgets.” Gates was speaking at a think tank in Brussels, where his remarks were...

Pentagon Opposes Quick Afghanistan Exit

Kevin Spak — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:26:05 CDT

The military is digging in its heels against the idea of a swift withdrawal from Afghanistan. “I think we shouldn’t let up on the gas too much, at least for the next few months,” Robert Gates told troops yesterday, as he finished his final trip to Afghanistan as defense secretary....

Obama Weighs Quicker Afghanistan Pullout

Matt Cantor — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 07:48:30 CDT

With Osama bin Laden dead and war costs increasing, the Obama administration is weighing a sharper drawdown of troops from Afghanistan than it had planned, the New York Times reports. But the issue is still very much up in the air, and outgoing defense secretary Robert Gates advocates slower steps....

Robert Gates Makes Farewell Afghanistan Trip

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:49:12 CDT

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew to Afghanistan today in an unannounced visit to say farewell to US troops and Afghan leaders. Gates, who is retiring at the end of the month, planned to meet with soldiers and Marines in eastern and southern Afghanistan. He also was holding talks with...