Breaking: Gates Distances Himself From Edelman's Attack On Hillary Clinton

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/20/breaking_gates_distances_himself_from_edelmans_attack_on_hillary

Breaking: Gates Distances Himself From Edelman's Attack On Hillary Clinton
By Greg Sargent | bio

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is distancing himself from an under secretary's assertion that Senator Hillary Clinton's public questions about Pentagon troop withdrawal plans are aiding the enemy.

In response to our queries, the Pentagon declined to endorse the remarks made by Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman in a recent letter to Clinton.

"I have said on several occasions in recent months that I believe that congressional debate on Iraq has been constructive and appropriate," Gates said, in a quote that was emailed to Election Central by Pentagon spokesperson Karen Finn.

Gates added that he was "looking into the issues" raised by Edelman's comments in the letter and Hillary's concerns about them.

In that letter, Edelman had written: "Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia."

Edelman added that "such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks."

Edelman was responding to an earlier query by Clinton, who has been ratcheting up the pressure on the Pentagon with questions about any plans it has drawn up for troop withdrawals, should that ultimately be mandated by Congress.

Edelman's letter, which was leaked to the press yesterday and prompted a media explosion of sorts, drew a sharp reply today from Clinton, who sent a letter to Gates this morning demanding that he personally account for Edelman's remarks.

Throughout the day, we've been asking the Pentagon press office for a response to Hillary's letter and asking whether the Pentagon's official position was the same as that which was expressed in Edelman's letter.

Here's the full quote from Gates that was emailed to us:

“I have long been a staunch advocate of Congressional oversight, first at the CIA and now at the Defense Department. I have said on several occasions in recent months that I believe that congressional debate on Iraq has been constructive and appropriate. I had not seen Senator Clinton’s reply to Ambassador Edelman’s letter until today. I am looking into the issues she raised and will respond to them early next week.”

Gates' quote appears to show that he's distancing himself in a big way from Edelman, a Cheney protege, as well as from Edelman's suggestion that public discussion of troop withdrawal by Congress is helpful to the enemy.

As it happens, Hillary's people didn't know that Gates was planning to weigh in on the controversy this afternoon. When Election Central informed Clinton spokesperson Philippe Reines of Gates' comment, he replied: "We look forward to his response."

Stay tuned until next week.

[Kagemusha]

1. So who's MSNBC's source for saying Gates signed off?

It sounds like something a good friend of Cheney's might say. Edelman count, I wonder?

[babylonsister]

3. I don't know; mixed messages, which might be what they want. nt

[Perky]

2. Another rogue operator in the Pentagon

Wolfowits, Feith, Perle Cabal

[Disturbed]

4. Can Gates fire Edelman?

If so, he should, ASAP!