Gates: ‘Everybody Knows We Still Have the Big Stick’

Staff / Truthdig May 4, 2009 Having moved from the Bush administration to Obama's camp, Defense Secretary Robert Gates takes stock of the White House's new occupant on Sunday's episode of "Fareed Zakaria GPS" and defends Obama's recent diplomatic outreach during his international debut: "I have not seen it as an apology tour," says Gates. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pentagon to Revoke Coffin-Filming Ban

Staff / Truthdig Feb 27, 2009 Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the Pentagon will, with some restrictions, allow the media to capture images of flag-draped military coffins entering the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, thus reversing a ban on coverage imposed in 1991. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gates Was ‘Hoping the Question Would Never Be Popped’

Staff / Truthdig Dec 3, 2008 Fresh off his official introduction as the current and future secretary of defense, Robert Gates took questions at the Pentagon on Monday about his party affiliation, President-elect Barack Obama and his outlook on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Obama Introduces National Security Team

Staff / Truthdig Dec 1, 2008 As expected, President-elect Barack Obama named Sen. Hillary Clinton as his choice for secretary of state and gave Robert Gates the opportunity to continue his work as secretary of defense -- just two in a series of high-powered nominations Obama announced Monday. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Gates Might Stick Around

Staff / Truthdig Nov 19, 2008 The Financial Times is reporting that Barack Obama is keen to have Robert Gates stay on as defense secretary. The paper says the two are currently negotiating their differences, but then that's the whole point: Obama wants people who disagree with him in his Cabinet. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Odierno Takes Petraeus’ Place in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Sep 17, 2008 On Tuesday, Gen. David Petraeus handed over the duties of commander of multinational forces in Iraq to his second-in-command, Gen. Raymond Odierno, who worked with Petraeus on implementing the U.S. troop surge over recent months. To mark the occasion, Petraeus, other American officials and Iraqi brass joined Odierno for a ceremony in a Baghdad-area palace formerly owned by Saddam Hussein. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israel and Iran Talk Tough

Staff / Truthdig Jul 11, 2008 Israel and Iran appear to be locked in a dangerous round of ¿Quién es más macho? On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded to Iran's new displays of military prowess -- this week's missile tests -- by declaring that Israel is ready for action should Iran push the direct-threat level any higher. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Heads Roll at Air Force

Staff / Truthdig Jun 6, 2008 Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday axed two top Air Force honchos, Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, in a bid to do some damage control in the wake of the alarming incident last August in which nuclear warheads were mistakenly flown from North Dakota to Louisiana and another incident in which Air Force electrical fuses for ballistic missile warheads were shipped to Taiwan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gates: Another Mideast War Would be ‘Disastrous’

Staff / Truthdig Apr 23, 2008 Here's a statement that should be preserved for posterity: Defense Secretary Robert Gates told an audience at West Point that, although he believes Iran is "hellbent" on developing nuclear weapons, the last thing the U.S. needs is to get into another war in the Middle East. Gates got misty toward the end of his speech, telling cadets he feels "personally responsible" for their lives. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Sadr: U.S. Will Always Be Enemy

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2008 Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintained his defiant stance against the U.S. as intense fighting in Sadr City and Najaf claimed more lives this weekend, including that of a Sadr relative and supporter, Riyad al-Nuri. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gates Ponders Delaying Iraq Drawdown

Staff / Truthdig Feb 12, 2008 Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he's considering delaying this summer's planned reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq in order to look into how the drawdown would impact security, an approach also supported by Gen. David Petraeus. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rumsfeld Cashing In With Iraq Memoir?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 27, 2007 What's a former secretary of defense to do now that he's out of a job? Well, the answer for Donald Rumsfeld is apparently to write a (controlled) memoir arguing in defense of his military maneuvers in Iraq -- for a sweet chunk of change. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )