The new Secretary of Defense
December 7, 2006| By Nathaniel Ward
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Furl thisYesterday, the Senate overwhelmingly approved Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense. Secretary Gates will replace Donald Rumsfeld, whose presided over the first years of the war on terrorism and began the essential reforms that will transform the military into a 21st-century fighting force.
Mackenzie Eaglen and James Carafano, who work as defense analysts at The Heritage Foundation, explain that the new Pentagon chief focused on the right issues during his confirmation hearings.
- Iraq. “Dr. Gates outlined the delicate balance between the need for Iraqis to take increased control over their country and security forces and ensuring the U.S. does not draw down troops too quickly and cause additional chaos in Iraq or the region.”
- Afghanistan and NATO. “Dr. Gates said it would be a tragedy to let the U.S. military victory in Afghanistan slip away due to neglect.”
- Maintaining a strong military. “U.S. leadership in the world requires a sustained commitment to making the necessary funding and resources available to our military…Dr. Gates supports robust defense spending”
- National missile defense. “Dr. Gates has long supported developing an effective missile defense system, which covers the full spectrum of capabilities.”
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
