No End in Sight

Staff / Truthdig Jun 17, 2007 It's now five months into the US troop "surge" in Iraq, and although Defense Secretary Robert Gates (center) claimed during his visit to Baghdad this weekend that it's still too early to tell if the surge is working, one U military higher-up, Lt Gen Raymond Odierno, admitted that only 40 percent of Iraq's capital city is consistently safe . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Sticks to Its Missiles in Eastern Europe

Staff / Truthdig Jun 15, 2007 Defense Secretary Robert Gates is shooting down a proposition from Russia to swap out the US's planned missile shield in Eastern Europe for a radar system in Azerbaijan, according to the Associated Press Meanwhile, ABC News reports that higher-ups from Russia's Energia Space Rocket Corp are concerned that U-originated equipment aboard the space station may have caused a "fatal flaw" in the works. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Defense Secretary Asks Congress to Close Gitmo

Staff / Truthdig Mar 30, 2007 Robert Gates urged Congress on Thursday to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, acknowledging that the international community was likely to doubt the credibility of tribunals held there: "My own view is that because of things that happened earlier at Guantanamo there is a taint about it." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Andrew Cockburn’s Rumsfeld Revelations

Staff / Truthdig Mar 15, 2007 The storied journalist speaks to Truthdig about his new book, "Rumsfeld: His Rise, Fall and Catastrophic Legacy," which offers fresh insight into the real force behind the Iraq debacle. Dig deeper ( 18 Min. Read )

Defense Secretary: Surge Not Our ‘Last Chance’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2007 Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that if the surge goes badly, the military will probably move troops "out of harm's way." Why wait? He also said the surge is not the "last chance" to get it right in Iraq. Let's hope Congress stops quibbling and makes him wrong. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sy Hersh on Defense Secretary Gates

Staff / Truthdig Dec 7, 2006 Veteran journalist and Bush administration critic Seymour Hersh speaks to Amy Goodman on "Democracy Now" about what to expect from Robert Gates as defense secretary: "The reality is Gates is a fresh face and there's a lot of people, [Brent] Scowcroft and James Baker among them, who are very worried about what's going to happen in '08." Watch it Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

The Nation: Generals Revolt

Staff / Truthdig Apr 17, 2006 Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, asks, "Is there a retired general left in the States who hasn't called on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to fall on his sword?" Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

General Planning

Mike Luckovich / Truthdig Apr 14, 2006 Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sixth General Calls for Rumseld’s Ouster

Staff / Truthdig Apr 14, 2006 Read the New York Times' take on the growing list. But check out CNN's "Five reasons why Rumsfeld won't leave easily." Also, Bush is standing firmly with his war architect. Update: Rep. Harold Ford calls for Rumsfeld's resignation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Gen. Zinni Calls on Rumsfeld to Resign

Staff / Truthdig Apr 3, 2006 The former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East called on the secretary of defense and other Bush officials to resign for making a "series of disastrous mistakes" in Iraq. (video) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

See Actual Notes From Rumsfeld-9/11 Meeting

Staff / Truthdig Feb 27, 2006 CBS reported in Sept. 2002 that the secretary of defense was pushing to invade Iraq barely five hours after 9/11. A blogger uses the Freedom of Information Act to publish the handwritten notes by a Defense Dept. staffer that gave rise to that story. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )