Robert Gates said...

the July 2011 date was chosen because it will be 2 years after the Marines arrived in Helmand.

Gates explains the rationale behind the July 2011 withdrawal date.

12/01/2009

More Robert Gates Quotes

brass creep

this results in a bureaucracy which has the fine motor skills of a dinosaur

I expect to continue to conduct training, advising, and assisting activities and joint counterterrorism operations.

It is vitally important to protect the military modernization accounts.