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US Defense Secretary Gates sets out his continuing agenda
By Caitlin Harrington
12/4/2008
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says he has "no intention of being a caretaker secretary" under the incoming administration of president-elect Barack Obama.
Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing on 2 December, Gates said he and Obama have agreed that his reappointment would be "open-ended" and "there is no time-frame" for his departure.
Obama announced on 1 December that he wanted to reappoint Gates because of his success over the past two years in winning bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and gaining the confidence of military commanders.
The decision marks the first time ever that a new president has asked a sitting defence secretary to serve in his administration.
Gates says he considers himself a Republican, although he is not registered with any party. Obama pledged to convene a bipartisan cabinet and Gates fits that requirement.
The secretary also said he would be amenable to Obama's plan for a "responsible drawdown" of US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office.
Previously Gates has favoured a withdrawal based not on Obama's deadline but rather on the advice of ground commanders experiencing the security situation first-hand. 188 of 532 words
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