Gates takes on Pentagon leaking: If i'll find who leaks, it's their end

[impik]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has threatened to fire Pentagon employees who are leaking details of President Obama's deliberations on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Gates addressed the leaks today in a press briefing while flying to Wisconsin, according to an article in the Pentagon's own American Forces Press Service.

"I am appalled by the amount of leaking that has been going on," he said.

From the article:

Gates said he has little doubt that some of those leaks have come from within the Defense Department. "If I found out who" was involved, he said, "it would probably be a career ender." The official line from the White House and Pentagon is that Obama remains undecided on how many troops to send.

He also condemned leaks on the Ft. Hood shootings, saying: "Everybody out there with their own little piece of the action" doesn't understand how it fits into the big picture.

"Everybody out there ought to just shut up."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/defense-sec-gates-appalled-by-leaks-on-afghanistan-and-threatens-firings.php?ref=fpa

[TwilightGardener]

1. Thank you, Sec. Gates.

[Parker CA]

2. Nice of Gates to be standing up like he seems to be doing. Heads should roll if leakers are found.

[vaberella]

13. Gates just said they would. Hoo-Ya! n/t

[Cleita]

3. Is Linda Tripp still working there? n/t

[Beacool]

20. That @#$% piece of $%^* woman!!!!

Ahhhhhh, I feel much better......

:D

[olegramps]

21. You mean the female Judas Iscariot. The patron saint of the Republican Party.

[Jennicut]

4. Nice. There have been tons of leaks with little truth out there and pure speculation.

[Hutzpa]

5. I knew his pick was solid

yup! and it just got solidify...:headbang:

[leftynyc]

7. He was picked

by Pres Obama's predesessor.

[Hutzpa]

12. Yes he was, but Obama could have

told him to pack it in, but being the person he is...we have here today, Commander gates, Assistant CiC\\... sorry Veep,
you're still the Top Dog\

[Kdillard]

6. Sounds good to me. Leaks should not be tolerated.

[optimator]

8. OJ Gates

looking for the real perpetrator.

[denverbill]

9. Cheney bragged about the insiders they left behind.

He's still the boss to some people in the Pentagon.

[vaberella]

11. Hah...Obama's people are smart...he's gonna catch those rats with some big cheese. n/t

[Truth2Tell]

14. OJ Gates

is a natural gut reaction. But that's not it.

Gates is on the Obama team. Obama is generally operating under a consensus foreign policy view on Afghanistan/Iraq that is shared by the non-neocon Republican establishment.

The Bush Sr crowd, Baker, Gates, etc, effectively re-took control of a big chuck of American foreign/military policy from Cheney and the neocons in Chimp's 2nd term. That actually represented a bigger change in control at places like the Pentagon than the Obama election did.

Gates isn't a Cheney "stay-behind" tolerating leaks from neocons. McChrystal and others may be though.

[vaberella]

10. That goes to all the DUers who think they know...based on rumors, conjecture, and secret santas. n/t

[burning rain]

15. How often are leakers detected & held to account?

.

[ShortnFiery]

16. Yeah, Mr. "I know nothing about Iran-Contra" is going to shake things up at the Pentagon.

Think again. :eyes:

[ipaint]

18. People have short memories.

His main specialty is manipulating intelligence.

[Hekate]

17. I wonder how many of the leakers are Cheney's moles? Gates would know who got left behind...

... and should probably have them checked out first.

Hekate

[Papa Boule]

19. Leaks can be a good thing. Sometimes they're the only thing. n/t

[Phx_Dem]

22. It's probably one of the burrowed Bushies. Just to be safe, Gates

should fire all of them.