Obama And Robert Gates Talk Iraq

December 2. 2008

Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, stated today that he is on the same page as president-elect Barack Obama, regarding ending the war. The Bush administration, which he currently works for, is staunchly against it. Gates is expected to stay on during Obama’s tenure in office.

According to the New York Times, Obama wants the war ended in 16 months, which will mean many more lives and billions of dollars lost during that time period. It’s a shame they can’t end Bush’s mess sooner.

Gates Says He and Obama on the Same Page on Iraq

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates declined on Tuesday to embrace President-elect Barack Obama’s goal of removing all American combat troops from Iraq within 16 months, but expressed confidence that he and Mr. Obama were not on a collision course.

In introducing his national security team on Monday, Mr. Obama announced that he was keeping on Mr. Gates as defense secretary.

Mr. Gates noted on Tuesday that despite Mr. Obama’s stated goal of a withdrawal within 16 months, the president-elect has also talked about his desire to have vigorous policy discussions with his cabinet officers by having “a team of people around him who would tell him what they thought and give him their best advice.” ...

http://www.nytimes.com