Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced yesterday in an interview that some time in 2011 he would retire as Secretary of Defense. Secretary Gates is the only holdover from the Bush Administration to serve in the Obama Administration, which allowed a continuity of policy leadership at a critical time while the U.S. is fighting two wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Secretary Gates' leadership helped allow for the stabilization of Iraq as he, along with Gen. Petraeus, instituted the Surge Strategy which brought Iraq back from the brink of chaos.
Currently the secretary is trying to reshape the Pentagon by reforming its budgetary process and move away from Cold War defense strategies while focusing on threats that the U.S. is more likely to face in the coming years.
His tenure at the Pentagon has begun to develop a new shape and direction, but also one that has led many to question the new direction.
The question is who will replace the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates? The president has time to wait, but at the same time his base support among liberals is highly questionable, who have been critical of his Afghan strategy. His base wants the end of combat operations and the troops brought home.
The president has to make a crucial decision at a critical time, and whatever decision he makes will have repercussion for the U.S. defense policy. We will have to wait and see!
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