Robert Gates
The Public Record
Robert Gates is a prominent Republican figure from Texas, known for his extensive career in public service and academia. He served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011 under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Gates played a crucial role in shaping U.S. military policy during the Iraq War and the early years of the Afghanistan War, advocating for a focus on counterinsurgency operations and the need for military reform. He has also held positions as the president of Texas A&M University and as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Gates is recognized for his pragmatic approach to defense and national security issues, often emphasizing the importance of bipartisan cooperation in governance. In recent public statements, he has expressed concerns about the use of continuing resolutions in government budgeting, highlighting the need for more stable fiscal policies.
May 2, 2011
his greatest fear is that in economic tough times people will see the defense budget as the place to solve the Nation's deficit problems, and that those cuts would be disastrous in the world environment we see today.
Mar 30, 2011
Yes, sir. As several have said--Secretary Clinton and, I think, the President--we would welcome congressional support.
Mar 30, 2011
Going forward, the U.S. military will provide the capabilities that others cannot provide, either in kind or in scale.
Mar 30, 2011
I think that the future of Egypt is absolutely critical to our interests in the region.
Mar 30, 2011
I acknowledge that I am preoccupied with avoiding mission creep and avoiding having an open-ended, very large-scale American commitment.
Mar 30, 2011
I think he has demonstrated, in the past few weeks, that he would take advantage of such a cease-fire, simply to round up more civilians.
Mar 30, 2011
In my view, the removal of Colonel Qadhafi will likely be achieved over time through political and economic measures and by his own people.
Mar 30, 2011
It continues to be in our national interest to prevent Qadhafi from visiting further depredations on his own people, destabilizing his neighbors, and setting back the progress the people of the Middle East have made in recent weeks.
Mar 30, 2011
I just don't understand how it would be possible for these tribes to want to cede any of that authority to some outside crowd like al Qaeda.
Mar 29, 2011
The protection of the United States from the threat of ballistic missile attack is a critical national security priority.
Mar 27, 2011
The truth of the matter is we have trouble coming up with proof of any civilian casualties that we have been responsible for. But we do have a lot of intelligence reporting about Gadhafi taking the bodies of people he's killed and putting…
Feb 28, 2011
Cuts in operations would mean fewer flying hours, fewer steaming days, and cutbacks in training for home-stationed forces--all of which directly impacts readiness.
Feb 16, 2011
Drastic reductions in the size and strength of the U.S. military make armed conflict all the more likely.
Feb 16, 2011
Retrenchment brought about by short-sighted cuts could well lead to costlier and more tragic consequences later.
Feb 16, 2011
The truth of the matter is the Iraqis want us out of the country as quickly as possible.
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