Looking Back, Gates Says He’s Grown Wary of ‘Wars of Choice’

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, as he prepared to depart the government for the second time, said in an interview on Friday that the human costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had made him far more wary about unleashing the might of the American armed forces.

“When I took this job, the United States was fighting two very difficult, very costly wars,” Mr. Gates said. “And it has seemed to me: Let’s get this business wrapped up before we go looking for more opportunities.”

“If we were about to be attacked or had been attacked or something happened that threatened a vital U.S. national interest, I would be the first in line to say, ‘Let’s go,’ ” Mr. Gates said. “I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.”

Most recently, he expressed major reservations about American intervention in Libya.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/us/politics/19gates.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

[Autumn]

1. Join the fucking party

Bush's and Obama's wars of choice are destroying our Country

[Angry Dragon]

2. OH, now that he is leaving he says this

what a war pig

[customerserviceguy]

3. Reminds me of McNamara's comments on Vietnam

After we wasted all that blood and treasure.

[PoliticAverse]

10. If you haven't seen the documentary on McNamara...

"The Fog of War".
Watch it on google video here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8653788864462752804#
I highly recommend it.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. Bingo...

he is looking to write a book about it (for the money, of course), just like good old Robert.

[xchrom]

4. when you're leaving?

:eyes:

[awoke_in_2003]

22. Should have left January '09...

but someone extended his contract.

[Ian David]

5. Oh, *NOW* he gets it? n/t

[polichick]

6. Too little and a whole lot of dead people too late!

[liberation]

7. Another company man trying to salvage his legacy

Even when they pretend to feign humanity, these sociopaths still have an ulterior motive.

Funny how it is often so overlooked that Obama, kept a republican and personal friend of the Bushes as sec. of defense, thus extending what are basically the most important pieces of policy from the Bush era. So much for all wonderful "change."

[PATRICK]

13. It's getting old

And guaranteed to be repeated by some other retiree of conscience after more bloody corporate wars.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. Book deal...

by saying this now, he appears to be crossways in regards to the current administration. That sells books.

[bahrbearian]

8. Give that man the Presidential medal of WTF?

[SaveAmerica]

9. oh.my.god Looking back G.H.W. Bush's refusal to wear a condom looks like a bad idea

[saras]

11. Indefensible scumbag - if he didn't know that going in, he was as unqualified as you can get.

[bemildred]

12. How about a little credit for those of us who knew it was stupid beforehand? nt

[Devil_Fish]

14. Shut you butt hole that you call a mouth Mr. Gates. every war since WW2 has been a war of choice. NT

[theaocp]

15. This clown calls wars, "opportunities"?!

How the fuck can anyone remotely identifiable as human think of war as an opportunity? Fuck this guy.

[somone]

16. What a lying asshole

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. At least he's consistent.

He was saying the same thing before we started bombing Libya. But when the boss says "jump" ...

[Marnie]

18. Shit I knew that as a freshman in college during Vietnam.

Shit I knew that as a freshman in college during Vietnam.

Gates just admitted to be an imbecile.

What the hell did they teach in the American War College if not, among other things, the costs of war.
And there are lots of costs and they are all huge.

Jesus Christ! We have been fight up to 4 simultaneous wars two of them for almost 10 years and he couldn't figure out up front that it would be costly.

There is not a vulgar or insulting epithet that is appropriate.

[Solly Mack]

19. Snort

[Arctic Dave]

20. I notice that they all say this once they get their military retirement package.

What a gutless coward the leadership of this country is. If they really believed these wars were bad they should have resigned immediately.