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December 7th,
2006 - Senate Confirms Gates as Defense Secretary News
article by the Washington Post |
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Senate Confirms Gates as
Defense Secretary Vote Is 95 to 2 as Rumsfeld’s Replacement Promises Fresh Approach to
Iraq By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, December 7, 2006; A11 The Senate overwhelmingly
approved Robert M. Gates yesterday as the new defense secretary to replace
Donald H. Rumsfeld, sealing a swift confirmation with a vote of 95 to 2 that
reflected bipartisan confidence in his willingness to overhaul U.S. strategy
in Iraq. Senate Democrats and
Republicans lauded Gates's frankness after a day of testimony Tuesday in
which he acknowledged that the United States is not winning in Iraq, and said
that historians would have to judge whether the decision to invade Iraq in
March 2003 was correct. He also pledged to take a fresh approach to Iraq in
which "all options are on the table." Two Republican senators -
Jim Bunning (Ky.) and Rick Santorum (Pa.) - voted against Gates, with Bunning
saying that Gates's criticism of "our efforts in Iraq" sends the
wrong message to U.S. troops and allies. Gates, 63, a former CIA
chief and Russia expert who has served four previous presidents, is to be
sworn in Dec. 18 as the nation's 22nd defense secretary. President Bush called Gates
soon after the vote to congratulate him. "I am confident that his
leadership and capabilities will help our country meet its current military
challenges and prepare for emerging threats of the 21st century," Bush
said in a statement. "He is an experienced, qualified, and thoughtful
man who is well respected by members of both parties." Gates said that his first
priority in taking the helm at the Pentagon will be to consult with senior
U.S. commanders in the field and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to formulate
recommendations on Iraq "with considerable urgency." Gates's blunt public
acknowledgement of problems in Iraq was amplified by yesterday's release of
the Iraq Study Group report, which concluded that "current U.S. policy
is not working" and has led to a "grave and deteriorating"
situation there. Both events have created a
sense of momentum as pressure builds on the Bush administration to shift
course in Iraq, where violence is at record levels and more than 2,900 U.S.
troops - including 10 killed yesterday - have lost their lives since the
U.S.-led invasion. Gates, however, as with the
Iraq Study Group report, has made clear that he knows of no startlingly novel
ideas for stabilizing the country of 26 million people. "There are no new ideas
on Iraq. The list of tactics, the list of strategies, the list of approaches,
is pretty much out there," Gates told the Senate Armed Services
Committee during his confirmation hearing Tuesday. "The question is: Is
there a way to put pieces of those different proposals together in a way that
provides a path forward?" Senators from both parties
said they were encouraged by Gates's willingness to speak his mind. "He came to the table
refreshingly open in a nonpartisan way," said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
on the Senate floor before yesterday's vote. "He has asserted his
independence," said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.)
also endorsed Gates - an Eagle Scout and Wichita native - saying his
"manner and temperament" not only helped him win him Senate
approval but would help him as defense secretary in facing "the most
significant challenge of our time." Indeed, several senators
laid out the host of difficulties that Gates will confront at the Pentagon,
including not only Iraq but also tough budget trade-offs and severe readiness
problems in the Army and Marine Corps that have left the United States less
prepared to respond to other potential world crises. © 2006 The Washington Post
Company External link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120601485.html |