The man who stands between US and new war (Robert Gates)

[sabra]

Source: UK Telegraph

Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, has taken charge of the forces in the American government opposed to a US military attack on Iran, writes Tim Shipman.

...

Those familiar with internal battles in the Bush administration say Mr Gates has eclipsed Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, as the chief opponent of air strikes and is the main reason President George W.Bush has yet to resort to military action.

Pentagon sources say Mr Gates is waging a subtle campaign to undermine the Cheney camp by encouraging the army's senior officers to speak frankly about the overstretch of forces, and the difficulty of fighting another war.

...

Insiders say Mr Gates has ensured that Mr Bush has seen more extensive studies of the probable negative effects of an attack on Iran than he was privy to before the war in Iraq.

One CIA insider said: "Bush understands that any increase in real military hostilities in Iran right now could have a negative effect. Bob Gates is the only one opposed to it. He's the single person in the US government who has any standing with the White House fighting it."







Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/07/wiran307.xml

[Strelnikov_]

1. . "Defense secretary Robert Gates: a force for peace"

No.

The SECDEF has been briefed that there is no way we can stop Iran from knocking offline nearly 50% of the worlds oil export market for years. And not being as much of an ideologue as Rummy has taken the implications of this to heart.

North Korea has Seoul as a hostage. Iran has the economy of the United States as a hostage.

Maybe it's time to talk.

I wonder if there would be all this clamor for attacking Iran if the pundit class knew that there is a real possibility of us going the way of the Mayans or Anasazi.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=1910376#1912170

[Amonester]

6. Or the way of the anana Nazi...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x3087

(Oops! Happened already... Sorry.) :cry:

[grytpype]

2. Why do we have to read this in the foreign press?

[bdamomma]

5. because our media and owned by Bushco.

[lovuian]

3. Gates may have a brain I think the Military is about to

go awol and Gates is getting the message across but Bush is being pushed on another end

[TrogL]

4. So what's Gates' expected lifespan

Weeks?