Gates not to act as ‘caretaker’ secretary; views his Pentagon duty as open-ended

Pentagon chief Robert Gates warned he will not be a “caretaker” Defense secretary as he continues in the role from one administration to another.

Gates directly addressed concerns that because he’s a holdover from a Republican president he would not be as effective under the new Democratic administration. It was also a move to stifle speculation that he will only serve for a limited time on the job.

{mosads}He noted he will aggressively tackle the Pentagon’s challenges.

“Our challenges, from the budget to acquisition and procurement reform, war strategy, care of wounded warriors, meeting the needs of war fighters, decisions on important modernization and capitalization projects and more, all demand the personal attention of the secretary of Defense, and they will get it,” Gates told reporters at a press conference Tuesday.

President-elect Barack Obama announced Monday that he will keep Gates as his Defense secretary — creating a unique situation. No secretary of Defense have ever been asked by a new president to stay on, even if the president was from the same party, Gates said.

Gates said his commitment to Obama is open-ended and that the two of them did not discuss a timeframe for his service.

With regard to Iraq, Gates tried to allay fears that he will be at odds with Obama, who has pushed for a troop withdrawal from that country within 16 months. Gates had previously said troop withdrawals should be based on conditions on the ground instead of a timetable.

Gates said that he subscribed to Obama’s position.

“He repeated his desire to try and get our combat forces out within 16 months. But he also said that he wanted to have a responsible drawdown. And he also said that he was prepared to listen to his commanders. So I think that that’s exactly the position the president-elect should be in,” Gates stressed.

He said the situation in Iraq has already changed with the new Status of Forces Agreement that requires all U.S. combat troops to be out of the populated areas by the end of June 2009 and withdraw entirely from the country within three years of that. The Status of Forces Agreement provides the legal basis for U.S.-led troops to operate in Iraq after a United Nations Security Council mandate expires at the end of December.

“I still think the pacing [of withdrawal] needs to be seen in the context of what’s going on both in terms of the deadlines we’ve agreed to and in terms of the situation on the ground,” Gates stressed. “The new factor is that we have agreed to some deadlines that change the nature of the mission in considerable ways.”

Gates will likely play a large role in selecting his deputies and other high-level Pentagon appointees. “I expect that the transition will provide names and candidates to me for positions, particularly for the most senior positions,” Gates said. “I will interview them and then I’ll make a recommendation to the president. And the […] president will make the final decisions.”

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England announced Tuesday that he won’t be staying on to work with Gates for Obama.

England said he will remain at the Pentagon beyond Jan. 20 to ensure a smooth transition. The deputy secretary of Defense manages the day-to-day business of the Pentagon and has large influence over the Pentagon’s weapons buying.

England’s successor is widely believed to be in line to take Gates’s No. 1 position once Gates leaves the Pentagon. Former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig is rumored to be one of the top choices for deputy secretary, but Obama’s transition team refused to comment on any possible appointments.

Gates brushed off concerns that he would be at odds with any of the president’s appointees.

“The truth of the matter is when I came here two years ago, every single position was filled by somebody who had been appointed by somebody else. I think it’s worked out OK,” Gates said. Gates also has not been shy to reprimand those whom he thought made mistakes. A good example is Gates’s decision to fire the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force over several flaps with nuclear weapons components.

{mospagebreak}Gates said that the Pentagon has started discussing the Pentagon’s 2010 budget process with Obama’s transition team. He vowed to scrutinize the way the Pentagon goes about buying its weapons after several highly publicized fiascos with some multibillion-dollar programs.

Among some of the major decisions that Gates will likely shepherd are: determining whether to buy more F-22 Raptor jets; restarting the competition for a new Air Force midair refueling tanker; selecting a winner for the Air Force’s new search and rescue helicopter; and determining whether the Army’s modernization program, known as the Future Combat Systems, will continue under its current premises.

{mosads}In the past, Gates opposed buying more F-22s beyond 183 planes. In fact, the Pentagon for 2010 did not budget for any more, but plans to ask for four additional planes in upcoming supplemental requests. Gates said on Tuesday that he did not want to commit to a decision regarding the F-22.

“I think that the key here is to do the analysis, examine the Air Force’s requirements, talk to the senior leadership of the Air Force, talk to the new appointees who will come into the department and then make a decision how to go forward,” Gates said.

Gates also said that one of the first priorities of the new administration will be to look at the strategy and approach toward Afghanistan. The new administration is reviewing that approach, Gates said.

“It’s very important for us to do everything we can to make sure that the Afghans understand this is their fight and they have to be out front in this fight. That’s why I’m such a strong supporter of accelerating the expansion of the Afghan army,” he said.

Gates also said that it is possible to close the military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but that the action would require legislative help from Congress. Specifically, Congress may have to draft legislation that would not allow detainees who get out of Guantánamo to seek asylum in the United States, Gates explained.

During the presidential campaign, Gates was adamant about not wanting to stay at the Pentagon and was quoted several times as saying that it was “inconceivable” for him to remain on the job.

In the days preceding Election Day, Gates carried a clock that counted down to the inauguration of the new commander in chief.

“I’ve thrown away the clock because it was absolutely useless at the end of the day,” Gates joked.

Gates admitted candidly that he hoped to make “enough noise” about not wanting to stay at the Pentagon so that he would not have to worry about the question being asked.

“I also knew myself well enough to know that if the question was asked what the answer would be,” he said.

Gates acknowledged that he first met with Obama the same day the president-elect came to visit with President Bush. Gates met Obama at a fire station at National Airport when Obama was getting ready to go back to Chicago.

Gates said he was impressed with Obama’s respect for the military and Michelle Obama’s desire to work on behalf of military families.