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09 Aug 2010 21:00

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U.S.: Robert Gates does the unthinkable: He proposes cutbacks

  • 10% cut in Defense Department contractors proposed source
  • 3,000 jobs could disappear thanks to the massive contractor cuts and other proposed cuts
  • $530B the size of the Defense Department’s budget, which usually increases 2-3 percent yearly
  • 1% the amount the budget will increase next year, which is why they need to make cuts
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jul 2010 02:45

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U.S.: Well, duh: Robert Gates wants no repeats of McChrystal’s Folly

  • Gates’ staff wrote up some new marching orders for dealing with media. Just in time! As members of the media, we would agree that the level of access Rolling Stone got with Stanley McChrystal was shocking, given the nature of his job. Now, leaders have to notify the Defense Department’s assistant secretary for public affairs prior to high-profile or high-impact interviews. Which means, in layman’s turns, they have to call the military’s PR department and ask if it’s a good idea. It was being worked on prior to the article, surprisingly. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 May 2010 12:18

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Politics: Robert Gates: Give us feedback on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

  • Every man and woman in uniform is a vitally important part of this review. We need to hear from you and your families so that we can make these judgments in the most informed and effective manner. So please let us know how to do this right.
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates • In a video regarding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, a bill which is currently making its way through Congress. Eventually, if and when it passes (which is likely), Gates is going to have to have his people deal with it directly. There is a big compromise involved here. The bill basically says, “OK, military, you guys decide if this makes sense for you,” and then they’ll decide. Which means the weight’s on Gates and the rest of the military. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Apr 2010 20:17

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Politics: Robert Gates: Believe nothing you read about me in the NYT

  • The memo was not intended as a ‘wake-up call’ or received as such by the President’s national security team. Rather, it presented a number of questions and proposals intended to contribute to an orderly and timely decision making process.
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates • In an attempt to defuse the controversy that blew up around a New York Times article regarding his department’s Iran policy. The article, which suggested that the Obama administration didn’t have a long-term plan to deal with Iran, was rooted in a memo written by Gates. The Times’ anonymous sources said the memo shook up the entire department; The Washington Post’s anonymous sources say it wasn’t that big a deal. We trust anonymous. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Apr 2010 21:13

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U.S.: Secret memo: The U.S. doesn’t know what the #(&$ to do about Iran

  • This is according to a note sent by man, myth and legend Robert Gates. While the U.S. has a solid short-term strategy for the country (including sanctions), a memo from Gates in January hints that they might be a little lost as to what to do if those measures don’t work. The note set off a tizzy, according to sources hiding behind the shoulders of anonymity. Why? There’s a significant fear that Iran will bump up against the Nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty, getting all the elements of a nuclear weapon without actually building one. (Hint: That’d be really bad.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Feb 2010 20:46

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U.S., World: Is Iran ready to come to terms with the world on nuclear energy?

  • yes This weekend, Iran made a bold-faced claim that the they were finally close to an agreement with the United Nations on their nuclear program. About time.
  • no The U.S. and Germany laughed at the thought. “I don’t have the sense we are close to an agreement,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates rebuffed. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Sep 2009 20:52

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Politics: Max Headroom: Right-wing conspiracies and radical revolutionaries

  • Clinton’s conspiracy Bill Clinton thinks Obama’s facing a right-wing conspiracy, he claimed on “Meet the Press.” He says it’s not as big as it was when he was president, but it’s more vicious.

  • Fawning over a pimpJames O’Keefe is in disbelief that his ACORN-trashing videos had such a massive impact. He describes himself as a “radical revolutionary” on Fox News.

  • Robert Gates is safeWhen George W. Bush was still president, the defense secretary had a “countdown clock” on his desk. It’s gone now. He’s there as long as he wants to be.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

20 Jul 2009 16:44

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U.S.: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has needs, and he’s filling them

  • 22,000 more troops are being added to the Army source
Posted by Nathalie Heiberg • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 May 2009 15:59

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U.S., World: Robert Gates has all sorts of nice things to say to North Korea

  • Dependent on the charity of the international community to alleviate the hunger and suffering of its people, North Korea’s leadership has chosen to focus the North’s limited energies and resources on a reckless and ultimately self-destructive quest for nuclear weapons.
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates • On North Korea’s nuclear weapon mission that’s ultimately just pissing off the rest of the world. Gates go on to say that the U.S. “will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.”  • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 May 2009 11:10

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Offbeat, U.S.: Obama can’t get Robert Gates’ name right, by the way

  • He introduced Gates as “William” during yesterday’s speech. Obama sees Robert Gates just about every day, but despite this, he still got the defense secretary’s name wrong during yesterday’s speech, which in our opinion is hilarious. It’s possible that he just had Will on his mind too much, seeing as that was his most-used word. Or he might’ve been talking about Bill Gates. Whatever. Just don’t do it again, dude. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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