Robert Gates actually said...

How do we refine and narrow the mission to make it achievable, and achieve the objectives, in terms of our own security?

Gates discusses the need to narrow the mission in Afghanistan for better security outcomes.

12/01/2009

More Robert Gates Quotes

We're in this thing to win. We intend to partner for a long time to come.

We will not repeat the mistake--and we must not repeat the mistake--of 1989 and turn our backs on these folks.

I think that, here again, there may be some parallels with Iraq.

All of our combat forces are to be out by the end of August 2010, and all forces out by the end of 2011.