10 Things You Didn’t Know About Robert Gates

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THE WARS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLVED, IRAQ STILL HAS OVER AMILLION OF THEIR PEOPLE IN EXILE AS REFUGEES. MALAKI LOST THE ELECTION STILL THE HEAD OF A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT, THUS DEMOCRACY HAS NOT SUCCEEDED. AFGANISTAN A CONTINUOUS MESS, WORSE FOR THEIR PEOPLE THAN WHEN WE GOT THERE, NOT BECAUSE OF OSAMA BUT BECAUSE OF A COVETED PIPELINE. SO GATES' ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE BEEN TO WATCH OVER THE CONTINOUS HEMORRAGING OF AMERICAN LIFE AND TREASURE WITH NO END IN SIGHT, MORE LIKE A FAILURE THAN AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, NONE THE LESS HE GIVES AN HONEST EFFORT.

JORGE ZAMACONA of TX 1:48PM August 23, 2010

THE QUICKEST WAY OF WINNING OUR WAR IN AFGHANISTAN IS TO THREATEN THE TALIBAN WITH THE COMOPLETE AND IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR OPIUM POPPY FIELD UNLESS THEY LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND CEASE ALL HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE US AND OUR NATO FORCES IN THAT COUNTRY!

PAUL BOROWSKI of FL 12:53PM August 02, 2010

Robert Gates should have been replaced after Obama became President! NO ONE should keep the previous administrations appointees to any posts for many reasons. On paper Sect. Gates looks good but in reality he is not! His Iran+Contra involvement "tainted" him forever. Not to mention he is playing to his own tune and he has not won either the Iraq or Afghanistan Wars. Not even close! His policy is to keep the US in these countries forever. Another "loser" Obama apponted was the Sect. of Interior Salazar. He is an inviormenatl "Nazi" and he has kept or strenghtened Pres. Bush's anti-inviormrntal policies and made everything worse. Pres. Obama put a fox in charge of the hen house here.

BB 4:04PM June 23, 2010

HOW GREAT IS AN AMERICAN WHO CICUMVENTS THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUION, THUS HARMING THE NATION, AS HE DID IN IRAN CONTRA, WHENHE ACTED AS A COMMON CRIMINAL AGAINST THE LAW OF THE LAND, AND AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LAW.

JORGE of TX 9:28PM June 22, 2010

It's a very good name in timely from US Defense Secretary, World Bank President until (I'm sorry..) Germany goalkeeper.

Andre Budianto 4:51AM May 21, 2010

Obama's great USA
Mr.R.Gates & Mrs.Clinton is serving great with Obama at the right-time in the right place while our great-USA lost its international respect under Bush lied-war, now in the right track running for our great-USA, country of all-religion & all-people in fair-freedom and true-democracy. Here to note: country divided in 2 blocks is not a honest democracy while it needs 3 to count mejority by the the people for the people in people's to peoples participation in nat. or int. affairs. Veteran-PeaceMan
What the h*e*l*l* are you trying to say?

r smith of CA 12:22AM April 22, 2010

funny how the same guy was so stupid under bush jr.
and now he is one of the brightest.
like bernie goldberg says, it's a slobering love affair
between the press and obama

r. smith of CA 12:17AM April 22, 2010

Yahoo! Reports Robert Gates as "Settling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan"!?! REALLY!? Then why am I set to deploy in February? Why is our nation so naive? I remember when Bush called "Mission Complete" in Iraq almost 6 years ago... in the middle of my tour. Ironic, but my battle's and I never were sent home within 2 months of our supreme "victory". Now we are still there 6 years later...
As for Afghanistan... you people are so absorbed by the bull sh** being thrown at you by the mainstream media that you are out touch about the reality of "WAR". Sit on your couches and think everything is being taken care of... progress is being made. You're wrong! It's American's like you that voted a President in office more concerned about writing NCAA basketball brackets, calling his favorite sportsteams than the 2 WARS we got going on and major healthcare reform. We are still very much at war, and Robert Gates is a big part of that problem. Shame on you all... "Settled MY WAR!?" Tell that to my dead comrades that died for a cause beyond you and the WhiteHouse's comprehension. Words like Honor still live strong with us, wake up America... you put my to shame.

Soldier of KY 8:52AM April 16, 2010

Howdy!
Proud Aggie of the class of 2008! To say but a few words, this man is truly a one of a kind public servant. As noted earlier in another posts, Dr. Gates has talents and skills. To add to this, I just wanted to say, he is a leader who speaks softly and humbly, yet demands enormous respect in that he respects others. When I was a cadet on quadrangle at Texas A&M University, Dr. Gates was often running with young cadets at 5:30 in the morning. Something you'd expect from an officer his age, which showed me the values this man received during his two year stint with Air Force, and several decades with the CIA.
He was an approachable President as well. Often during the evening after work, while the Corps would be again training at a nearby field, he'd be walking around smoking his cigar, and saying "HOWDY" to local students. During the short few years, Gates was here he brought much positive change to our beloved institution. An institution, which I can argue, is rare today if anything like it ever existed. He understood the values behind what we were doing in Aggieland, and yet, and yet as a leader he did not shy away from pointing out our vices, which needed to change if A&M were to move forward with the Goals that we had. Thus, he successfully began a chain of multi-million dollar university expansion programs in building and infrastructure. Hired 100's of new faculty with a more diverse background. Expanded much of the work done in several academic programs, worked hard to begin recruiting a more diverse student population, and all the while defending the values that were important, while convincing Aggies that some changes are good...no easy task.
The man is a mover and a shaker, he gets things done, asks tough questions, does not play politics, and inspired many with his call of duty to God and Country. I read anything on the news about this man, and I hope to honor him by continuing to serve.
ps: please excuse error the font on this computer is teeny-tiny. ; D

James Peinado of TX 4:36AM April 14, 2010

I do have many similar attributes as Dr. Gates excepy O do have a foreign accent even though I have spoken English 64 tears oit of 77 tears. That unfortunately , according to fellow workers, was a barrier to my gettingh into positions as Dr. Gates. I am fluent in four languages, workked in military intelligence, represented the USa the Brussels World's Faor to handle VOPs visiying the US Pavilopn including the late President Herbert Hoover on July 4, 1958; the President of the IISR Vorochilov, ANASTAS Mikpyan of the ISSr, Gov. Stevenson, Elenor Roosevelt, etc. I wasselectedas a National Woodrow Wolson Fellow and gaineda masters from the SAIS, Johns hp[kins U. Proposed the presidential debates, and learned about the ISSR cl;osed cities nd the nuclear disaster there in l957. O was the person who did the major staff work of many leadets in the Executive Branch of the Government for 30 years as apolitical economist. Today , retired 17 years, I manage a worldwide Yahoo! group. and much more. Iwas apponted by the former Governor ofd Maryland to a n important task force.I have writtten over 21,000 articles , I was elected to major national councils of professional societies and received many awards. So, you see, thereare many like me that are not heralded as Dr. Gates is ,Hewas lucky that his skills were used. many are not as lucky. But there isstill hope for the many taleneted individuals in opur great country. They need to be used well and not overlooked because of an accent.

Freddy Lejeune of MD 6:09PM April 13, 2010