Robert Gates

Memo to Obama: Dismiss McChrystal

Michael Carmichael | Posted 10.06.2009 | Politics


Michael Carmichael

When Truman realized that General MacArthur was insubordinate, he dismissed him. When General McChrystal spoke out in London, he usurped the power of the president to design and execute foreign policy.

Conde Nast to End War in Afghanistan

Andy Borowitz | Posted 10.06.2009 | Comedy


Andy Borowitz

In what some experts are calling a bold and unorthodox strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense has hired the Conde Nast magazine group to end the unpopular war in Afghanistan.

Robert Gates Wants War Advice To Obama Kept Private

The Washington Post | Ann Scott Tyson and Scott Wilson | Posted 10.05.2009 | Politics


Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stressed Monday that military and civilian leaders should keep their advice to President Obama on Afghanistan privat...

75 Guantanamo Prisoners Cleared for Release; 31 Could Leave Today

Andy Worthington | Posted 10.05.2009 | Politics


Andy Worthington

If the rationale for not releasing the Yemenis from Guantánamo was extended to the U.S. prison system, no prisoner would ever be released at the end of their sentence, because prison "might have radicalized" them.

Gates: Military Will Fall In Line Behind Obama On Afghanistan

AP | LARA JAKES | Posted 10.05.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. military will not hesitate in carrying out whatever mission President Barack Obama dec...

Inside Afghanistan's "Black Hawk Down"

nytimes.com | THOM SHANKER | Posted 10.03.2009 | World


The battle of Wanat is being described as the "Black Hawk Down" of Afghanistan, with the 48 American soldiers and 24 Afghan soldiers outnumbered three...

Obama Advisers Split On Afghanistan, Complicating His Decision

AP | LARA JAKES and ANDREW TAYLOR | Posted 10.01.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to delay a face-to-face briefing from the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, who hours earlier had warned...

Gates Has Growing Doubts About U.S's Afghan Strategy

Wall Street Journal | YOCHI J. DREAZEN | Posted 10.01.2009 | Politics


President Barack Obama met with senior counselors for three hours Wednesday to launch his review of Afghan war strategy, amid indications that his def...

Article In Military Journal Endorses Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

New York Times | ELISABETH BUMILLER | Posted 09.30.2009 | Home


WASHINGTON -- In an unusual show of support for allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces, an official military journal articl...

Creating Terrorism

Sen. Fritz Hollings | Posted 09.30.2009 | Politics


Sen. Fritz Hollings

In the Muslim world, more important than freedom and democracy is tribe and religion. We are not going to teach warlords to like democracy and grow wheat instead of poppies.

U.S. Seeking Tougher Sanctions Against Iran

The New York Times | MARK LANDLER | Posted 11.27.2009 | World


The Obama administration is scrambling to assemble a package of harsher economic sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program that could include a ...

Sam Stein

Gates: Gitmo Deadline Was Smart Politics, But Won't Be Met (VIDEO)

HuffingtonPost.com | Sam Stein | Posted 11.27.2009 | Politics


Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged on Sunday that the Obama administration's efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay would ...

Gates To Ahmadinejad: "Not A Chance" We'll Apologize

ABC News | George Stephanopoulos | Posted 11.25.2009 | World


President Ahmadinejad demanded an apology from the US for accusing Iran of violating international law with the secret uranium enrichment site discove...

Poll: Support For Afghan War At All-Time Low

CNN Politics | Paul Steinhauser | Posted 11.15.2009 | Politics


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Support for the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time low, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey r...

More Troops to Afghanistan?

Richard A. Clarke | Posted 11.11.2009 | World


Richard A. Clarke

Afghanistan is not a numbers game. The issue is whether we are pursuing a strategy that defines our goals and tailors our means to them.

Will More U.S. Troops Strengthen the Taliban?

Nathan Gardels | Posted 11.09.2009 | World


Nathan Gardels

With another surge of troops in Afghanistan, won't America and its NATO allies come to be seen just as the Afghans saw the Soviets?

Gates: Victory In Iraq And Afghan Wars Challenge But Achievable (VIDEO)

Al Jazeera | Posted 11.08.2009 | World


In a wide-ranging interview with Al Jazeera's Abderrahim Foukara, Gates spoke about the US strategy for peace in Afghanistan facing a "war of necessit...

Winners Lose

Robert Koehler | Posted 10.20.2009 | Politics


Robert Koehler

The situation in Afghanistan is serious. We're getting "out-governed" by an enemy so ruthless it's bringing services to a desperate people ignored by ...

Gates: It's Not Time To Leave Afghanistan

AP | LARA JAKES and PAULINE JELINEK | Posted 10.19.2009 | World


WASHINGTON — Facing eroding public support for the war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon chief said Thursday that the Obama administration's effort i...

Gates And Mullen Counter Afghanistan Frustration

The Hill | Roxana Tiron | Posted 10.19.2009 | Politics


Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that the U.S. forces must work to "turn around" the security situation in Afgha...

Rice Advances the Obama Doctrine

Joe Cirincione | Posted 09.14.2009 | Politics


Joe Cirincione

The Obama Doctrine isn't naïve liberal internationalism. On the contrary, as Susan Rice explains, respect for multilateral institutions strengthens America's ability to protect and pursue its own interests.

Gates: It's A "Mystery" How Long US Forces Will Be In Afghanistan

AP | LARA JAKES and ANNE GEARAN | Posted 09.14.2009 | World


WASHINGTON — The Pentagon presented a grim portrait of the Afghanistan war Thursday, offering no assurances about how long Americans will be fig...

Obama's Big Mideast Push

Eric Margolis | Posted 09.07.2009 | World


Eric Margolis

Some of the administration's biggest guns have been sent to the Mideast in an all-out effort to get America's squabbling allies and clients to accept a comprehensive regional peace deal.

Obama's Afghan Benchmarks Still AWOL

The New York Times | Posted 09.07.2009 | Politics


As the American military comes to full strength in the Afghan buildup, the Obama administration is struggling to come up with a long-promised plan to ...

Feingold To Oppose Afghan War Troop Increase

Washington Independent | Posted 09.05.2009 | World


If Gen. Stanley McChrystal proposes, as expected, an increase in U.S. troops for the Afghanistan war, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) is "likely to oppose...