http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/secdef/ en-us Tue, 7 Jul 2009 20:17:55 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2287531/posts Rather than absolving him of his sins, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara’s pseudo-mea culpa, “In Retrospect: Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam,” is a self-indictment. His lesser crime is self-indulgence. His arrogance and duplicity during the Vietnam conflict is echoed throughout his book as he recounts his mismanagement of the war. If as he admits, ignorance was his guiding light, then, it has grown to be a beacon today, proving that he has learned little about Vietnamese communism in the almost three decades that it took him to write his book. Besides the war, another tragedy is that McNamara seems... Washington Inquirer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2287531/posts#comment Tue, 7 Jul 2009 20:17:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286862/posts "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." —Clarence Darrow (1857–1938) Well, the aptly named Robert Strange McNamara has finally shuffled off to join LBJ and Dick Nixon in the 7th level of Hell. McNamara was the original bean-counter — a man who knew the cost of everything but the worth of nothing. McClatchy Newspapers http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286862/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 23:27:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286441/posts Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara has died. McNamara, 93, died at home in his sleep Monday morning, his wife Diana told The Associated Press. She said he had been in failing health for some time. Known as a policymaker with a fixation for statistical analysis, McNamara was president of the Ford Motor Co. when President John F. Kennedy asked him to head the Pentagon in 1961. McNamara worked for seven years as the defense secretary in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, longer than any other person in that post. He headed the war department during the build-up of forces in... foxnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2286441/posts#comment Mon, 6 Jul 2009 13:21:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269560/posts James Von Brunn’s writings don’t sound very “right-wing.” On June 10, the nation tragically witnessed a memorial dedicated to commemorating an atrocity become the site of yet more death. Just before 1 p.m., longtime neo-Nazi James Wenneker Von Brunn entered the Holocaust Museum on the National Mall and opened fire in an attempt to complete the Final Solution his hero had left tentative, an omission Von Brunn dubbed “Hitler’s biggest mistake.” As former Defense Secretary Bill Cohen wandered the museum grounds, Von Brunn killed Stephen T. Johns, a black security officer, then was shot himself. As of this writing, the... FrontPage Magazine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269560/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:59:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261409/posts Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned North Korea on Saturday that the United States would not accept it as a nuclear weapons state, as Asian security officials struggled to find a new way to deal with the isolated Communist nation. “We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any target in Asia — or on us,” Mr. Gates told a major defense conference here that has been dominated by North Korea’s test this week of a nuclear device and the firing of at least six short-range missiles, all in defiance of international... ny times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261409/posts#comment Sun, 31 May 2009 00:01:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261071/posts SINGAPORE -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned North Korea on Saturday that the United States would respond quickly if moves by the communist government threaten America or its Asian allies. "We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to wreak destruction on any target in the region -- or on us," Gates told an annual international meeting of defense and security officials from Asia and the Pacific Rim. Gates called North Korea's nuclear program a "harbinger of a dark future" but said he does not consider it a direct military threat to the United States... FoxNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261071/posts#comment Sat, 30 May 2009 05:58:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257664/posts Who is to blame for (1) our difficulties in Iraq, (2) the delayed Katrina response, (3) lousy relations between the US and Russia, and (4) Republicans losing the Senate?  Donald Rumsfeld, of course.  At least if you believe Robert Draper, as he writes in the June 2009 issue of GQ. "Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld has always answered his detractors by claiming that history will one day judge him kindly. But as he waits for that day, a new group of critics -- his administration peers -- are suddenly speaking out for the first time. What they're saying? It isn't... American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257664/posts#comment Mon, 25 May 2009 06:25:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257472/posts Cadets graduating from West Point were praised by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Saturday for having the courage and patriotism to join the military in "a dangerous new century." Gates noted that the 970 members of the U.S. Military Academy's class of 2009 were preparing their West Point applications in late 2004, even as American forces were battling fiercely in Fallujah in Iraq. "You made your decision to serve knowing not only that America was at war, as did every man or woman who joined the military after September 11, but that this war would be bloody and... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257472/posts#comment Sun, 24 May 2009 21:24:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2256979/posts Cadets graduating from West Point were praised by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday for having the courage and patriotism to join the military in "a dangerous new century." Gates noted that the 970 members of the U.S. Military Academy's class of 2009 were preparing their West Point applications in late 2004, even as American forces were battling fiercely in Fallujah in Iraq. "You made your decision to serve knowing not only that America was at war, as did every man or woman who joined the military after Sept. 11, but that this war would be bloody and difficult,... FoxNews.com/AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2256979/posts#comment Sat, 23 May 2009 18:39:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2217760/posts A change to the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward gays in the military will be delayed despite promises by the Obama administration to overturn the rule, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday."The president and I feel like we've got a lot on our plates right now and let's push that one down the road a little bit," Gates told "FOX News Sunday."In January, President Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, was asked whether his boss would overturn "don't ask, don't tell.” Gibbs' reply -- videotaped for YouTube -- was unequivocal."You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's... FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2217760/posts#comment Mon, 30 Mar 2009 01:27:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2213039/posts As the Bush administration was drawing to a close, Robert M. Gates, whose two years as defense secretary had been devoted to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, felt compelled to warn his successor of a crisis closer to home. Boston.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2213039/posts#comment Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:57:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209531/posts WASHINGTON, March 18, 2009 – The wishes of the families will be the overriding principle guiding any media coverage of fallen warriors’ remains arriving at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates directed a working group to come up with a plan to change a ban on such coverage imposed during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. “The working group I tasked to come up with an implementation plan has reported back, and we will put a number of its recommendations into action starting next month,” Gates said during a Pentagon news conference.... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2209531/posts#comment Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:39:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2204625/posts WASHINGTON, March 11, 2009 – As the United States reviews its strategy in Afghanistan, one thing is certain: The United States won’t let the Taliban threaten the Afghan government and re-establish safe havens there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on National Public Radio yesterday. “I would say that at a minimum, the mission is to prevent the Taliban from retaking power against the democratically elected government in Afghanistan and thus turning Afghanistan potentially again into a haven for alQaida and other extremist groups,” Gates said. The secretary conceded that the situation in Afghanistan “began to go downhill again” in... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2204625/posts#comment Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:19:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2167557/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates will sit out Barack Obama's inauguration at an undisclosed location as the "designated successor" in the event of a catastrophe, the White House announced Monday. While the eyes of the world are glued Tuesday to Obama's historic swearing-in, attended by outgoing US President George W. Bush and both outgoing and incoming senior aides, Gates will stay away, said spokeswoman Dana Perino. "In order to ensure continuity of government, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been designated by the outgoing administration, with the concurrence of the incoming administration, to serve as the designated successor... Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2167557/posts#comment Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:09:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2148300/posts US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has told US troops in Iraq that their mission there is in its "endgame". bbc http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2148300/posts#comment Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:18:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139001/posts Citizen Soldiers May Need More Training On Homeland Operations, Defense Secretary Says Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday ordered his top department leaders to conduct a broad review to determine whether the military, National Guard and Reserve can adequately deal with domestic disasters and whether they have the training and equipment to defend the homeland. The 41-page memo signaled an acknowledgment that the military must better recognize the critical role of the National Guard and Reserves in homeland defense, but stopped short of requiring many specific policy changes. His memo comes in the wake of a stinging 400-page independent commission... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139001/posts#comment Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:08:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138379/posts 2. change... not so much :( Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top amitta (35 posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Tue Nov-25-08 05:09 PM Response to Original message 3. so Obama thinks Dems are weak on defense disgusting. Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top gcomeau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author... DUmmies http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138379/posts#comment Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:36:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137081/posts THE surge in Iraq has been one of the most impressive military accomplishments in recent years. It has been so successful that the emerging consensus is that what may now be needed in Afghanistan is a similar surge of American forces. President-elect Barack Obama campaigned on his intention to do so, as did his former opponent, John McCain. As one who is occasionally — and incorrectly — portrayed as an opponent of the surge in Iraq, I believe that while the surge has been effective in Iraq, we must also recognize the conditions that made it successful. President Bush’s bold... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2137081/posts#comment Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:06:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135605/posts CORNWALLIS, Canada, Nov. 20, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to encourage a more regional approach to the mission in Afghanistan’s Regional Command South during a two-day meeting of defense ministers from nations contributing the lion’s share of forces there. The meeting, at Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, will provide an opportunity for the eight ministers to focus on the situation in Regional Command South and their strategy for stabilizing that volatile area, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters yesterday. In addition to the United States and Canada, the participants represent Australia, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands,... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2135605/posts#comment Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:49:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130205/posts Anti-war camp urges Obama to dump Gates By: Jen DiMascio November 11, 2008 01:57 PM EST Arms control advocates and anti-war activists are ratcheting up pressure on President-elect Barack Obama to dump Defense Secretary Robert Gates and replace him with a more strident anti-war voice. Nominating Gates to stay, “would be a violation of the mandate for change that Obama says he represents,” said Medea Benjamin, cofounder of the anti-war group CodePink. A better bipartisan fit for Obama, they say, is Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who brings out what they like about Gates – his ability to deal with Russia,... The Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130205/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:11:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130184/posts Not so Changey. President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies, advisers say, an approach that is almost certain to create tension within the Democratic Party… “He’s going to take a very centrist approach to these issues,” said Roger Cressey, a former counterterrorism official in the Clinton and Bush administrations. “Whenever an administration swings too far on the spectrum left or right, we end up getting ourselves in big trouble.”… [H]e more recently voted for a White House-backed law to expand eavesdropping powers for the National Security Agency. Mr. Obama said he opposed providing legal... hotair.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130184/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:42:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130362/posts Arms control advocates and anti-war activists are ratcheting up pressure on President-elect Barack Obama to dump Defense Secretary Robert Gates and replace him with a more strident anti-war voice. Nominating Gates to stay, “would be a violation of the mandate for change that Obama says he represents,” said Medea Benjamin, cofounder of the anti-war group CodePink. A better bipartisan fit for Obama, they say, is Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who brings out what they like about Gates – his ability to deal with Russia, Iran and Syria – without the direct link to Bush’s policies. “That would be an unmistakable... Politico.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130362/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:44:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2129780/posts Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on Sunday expressed openness to having Republicans appointed in the next Cabinet and keeping Defense Sec. Robert Gates in his official capacity. The Democratic leader also pledged bipartisanship in the next Congress, saying election victories were not a "mandate for the Democratic Party" but a call to end divisive politics. ************* "I think we need a good transition there," the Senate leader said. "I am confident that Senator Obama has somebody in mind for secretary of defense but Gates -- you know, it's interesting, my conversation with Secretary Gates, he's... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2129780/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:51:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2088890/posts WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2008 – Amid an 80-percent drop in violence and with further withdrawals of U.S. forces in sight, the coalition in Iraq has reached the “endgame,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. “I believe we have now entered that endgame – and our decisions today and in the months ahead will be critical to regional stability and our national security interests for years to come,” he told the Senate Armed Service Committee during a hearing on Iraq and Afghanistan. Highlighting success in Iraq are reductions in U.S. casualties and overall violence, and the handover of... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2088890/posts#comment Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:35:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2085454/posts LONDON, Sept. 18, 2008 – The situation in Afghanistan is complicated, and the United States and its NATO allies and other partners continually assess the strategy in the country, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates, in London for a NATO meeting, spoke to British and American reporters. He arrived here yesterday after visits to Afghanistan and Iraq. Gates called the situation in Afghanistan dynamic and complicated. He said that while the northern and western parts of the country pose no significant challenges, the American-led Regional Command East area was under control a year ago, but has seen a... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2085454/posts#comment Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:29:45 GMT