Gates: No withdrawal from Iraq whilst Bush is President.
US Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates, the man widely expected to take over from Donald Rumsfeld, has indicated that he expects the Iraq problem to be passed on to Bush's successor.
Most news outlets are focussing on his comments that the US are not winning in Iraq, but I found this comment far more interesting:"Our course over the next year or two will determine whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the US will face a slowly but steadily improving situation in Iraq or... the very real risk and possible reality of a regional conflagration," he said.
The new Defence Secretary isn't planning on pulling the troops home anytime soon; indeed, he's specifically stating that this problem will pass itself on to the next administration.
So why are the Democrats approving this guy?
Click title for source.
tag: Iraq war, Bush, "Stay the course", Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Gates
2 comments:
Gates doesn't have that power. He would only be the pesident's secretary.
For Dems, I think, it's enough that he's a vocal critic of the current policy and will supposedly offer advice on how to change course.
Stash,
I agree that he doesn't have the power, what I am interested in though is the intent and the wriggle room that Bush is being afforded here. The clear implication is that this problem will be passed on to Bush's successor.
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