Gates to Remain at Defense at Least Another Year

[tekisui]

Source: LA Times

Some senior officials say he has become Obama's most trusted national security advisor. The decision allows him to participate in the next Afghanistan strategy review and cement his legacy.

Reporting from Washington - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has committed to remaining in his post for another year, keeping him in office at least through the next crucial Afghanistan strategy review in 2010.

In Pentagon circles, speculation about Gates' intentions were intense. When President Obama first announced that he intended to keep Gates as Defense secretary, some experts predicted he would stay on only for the first year of the Obama administration.

Originally appointed by former President George W. Bush, Gates is the first Defense secretary to serve under presidents of two different parties.

But Gates has diligently remade himself into a trusted advisor of Obama. Some senior administration officials have said Gates has become the White House's most trusted advisor on national security matters.

Late Thursday, Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, announced that Gates met with Obama before Christmas and gave the president his commitment to remain for at least another year.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-gates-defense9-2010jan09,0,3629923.story

[kerrywins]

1. should anyone be suprised by this?

he's continuing the wars, warrantless wiretapping, torture, patriot act, the bailouts...

whats surprising when he keeps some of the same people around to continue it all?

[CJCRANE]

8. The fact you added torture to the list

indicates to me that you're disingenuous.

On edit: And he's ending the Iraq War and ramping up the war on al-Qaeda. That's very different to Bush-Cheney. They never intended to go after al-Qaeda in a serious way.

[Don Caballero]

2. Although he is a Repug if the President approves of his staying I support his decision.

[StarfarerBill]

3. Oh, joy: more Rumsfeld Lite.

[Mari333]

5. yep. same old shit.

[TwilightGardener]

4. All right with me. Afghanistan is going to be tricky over the next year--

might as well leave him at the helm. Edit to add: Gates also did something important, last year--started cutting the DoD reliance on outside contractors, and hiring (basically restoring) more civil servants. He learned that not everything in the military/defense dept. can be outsourced.

[tekisui]

6. Did he really make contractors cuts, because their use has increased,

and they have been awarded record contracts the past year.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Supposedly he's trying to reduce the number of support-service contractors

to get the percentage of the DoD work force back to pre-Bush/Rumsfeld levels.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0409/040609kp1.htm