InfoAnda - Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Philippines declares emergency in parts of south | International | | 24 November 2009
German general backs officer in Afghan airstrike | 10 September 2009
Beach Boys go retro on first new single in 20 years | | 25 April 2012

Acer sees shortages as smartphone demand surprises | 3 December 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011 AFP - 43 minutes ago Send IM Story Print Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011 WASHINGTON (AFP) - – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday he hoped to step down in 2011, predicting it would be clear by then whether the US surge strategy in Afghanistan was working. Gates, 66, the sole Republican holdover in President Barack Obama's cabinet, has provided continuity on national security as the Democratic president took charge of the White House and two wars last year. Gates, a former CIA director with a 40-year career in government, has long hinted he wanted to leave. He was tapped by former president George W. Bush in 2006 to replace the controversial Donald Rumsfeld amid a near debacle in Iraq. "I think that by next year I'll be in a position where -- you know, we're going to know whether the strategy is working in Afghanistan," Gates said in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine. "We'll have completed the surge. We'll have done the assessment in December. And it seems like somewhere there in 2011 is a logical opportunity to hand off." Gates said it would be wrong for him to wait until January 2012 to try and hand over the reins as it could be tricky to "get a good candidate" in an election year when the administration might be voted out. "I just think this is not the kind of job you want to fill in the spring of a presidential election. So I think sometime in 2011 sounds pretty good." Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell played down the interview, noting that every time Gates "seriously considered hanging it up for good, he ultimately has decided to keep serving." "This is not Secretary Gates announcing his retirement. This is the secretary musing about when it would make sense for him to finally bow out," Morrell said. White House spokesman Bill Burton said it was not surprise that Gates would speak about his plans to move on. As a veteran Republican, Gates was seen as providing political cover and expertise as Obama fulfilled pledges to pull US troops from Iraq and refocused on the fight against Afghanistan's Taliban. The United States is pouring some 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan, part of the "surge" that will swell US numbers to 100,000 in the coming weeks. Obama, announcing the strategy last year, said the United States would start pulling out troops in July 2011, sending a signal both to a wary US public and to an overly dependent Afghan leadership that the US commitment was not open ended. But the timeline has been strongly criticized by some who believe it would boost the Taliban's resolve by sending out the message that America is not in the fight for the long-term. "The July 2011 deadline was a hard hurdle for me to get over because I'd fought against deadlines with respect to Iraq consistently," Gates told Foreign Policy. "But I became persuaded that something like that was needed to get the attention of the Afghan government, that they had to take ownership of this thing," Gates said. "And I recognized the risks." General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan, in a televised interview on Sunday left open the option of recommending a delay in the withdrawal of troops if warranted by conditions on the ground. The Obama administration has insisted the United States will remain engaged in Afghanistan well after July 2011. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pledged to take responsibility for security from US-led NATO forces by the end of 2014. US public support for the near nine-year war has slumped to an all-time low and the US death toll hit a monthly high of 66 in July. A growing number of Democrats have called for an exit strategy, saying the war is hurting rather than helping US interests. Speculation has been rife for months on Gates's successor. Some pundits believe Obama may tap Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who dealt closely with military issues as a senator, to be the first female defense chief. Clinton has been coy about her plans but said she does not want to serve as the chief US diplomat if Obama is elected to a second term. Other potential candidates include Michele Flournoy, the current under secretary of defense for policy, seen by some as being groomed for the top job, and former senator Sam Nunn, a conservative Democrat. Obama is the seventh president Gates has served in a 40-year career at the heart of the US national security apparatus, mostly in the Central Intelligence Agency. He played a controversial role in Central America in the 1980s. He was implicated but not indicted in the Iran-Contra scandal in which the United States sold weapons to Iran's Islamic regime to fund Nicaragua's anti-communist rebels. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Lucky escape for all but one in Colombia plane crash AFP - 15 minutes ago Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011 AFP - 43 minutes ago Taliban call for joint probe into Afghan civilian deaths AFP - 1 hour 6 minutes ago Iran sets timetable for third uranium plant AFP - 1 hour 13 minutes ago Israel rejects 'preconditions' for direct peace talks AFP - 1 hour 56 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Darfur expels five aid workers Israel rejects 'preconditions' for direct peace talks Tearful German pop star confesses in HIV trial Russia says beating fires as weather switches Eurozone inflation rises to 1.7% in July More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Zsa Zsa Gabor calls in priest for final rites Eight killed, 12 injured in California desert race Tearful German pop star confesses in HIV trial Hurricane formation linked to sea color: study Belgian man dies of South Asian superbug More Most Viewed » Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero 40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study Massive ice island breaks off Greenland glacier More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Iraq's main parties break off coalition talks
Russia expels Romanian diplomat for spying
US-TECH Summary
Rivals stop coalition talks in Iraq in sectarian row
Qaeda's north Africa wing calls for revenge against France
Russia's Medvedev asks tycoons for wildfire help |
Russia says beating fires as weather switches
Intel to buy TI's cable modem unit
Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011
Former Israeli soldier slammed for Facebook photos |
Iraq parties break off coalition talks: spokeswoman
Drug hitmen kidnap Mexican mayor near U.S. border |
Embattled French minister hit by new finance claim
Spanish judge probes complaint over Google's Street View
Al-Qaeda 'group leader' killed in Afghanistan: NATO
Netanyahu hopes for direct peace talks in near future |
WTO rules against EU on hi-tech duties
U.S. citizen Berenson says sorry for Peru terrorism |
Iran says to push ahead with new enrichment plants
Afghan private security firms given 4-month deadline
U.S. hails big win in technology trade case against EU
U.S. Defense chief Gates says wants to leave in 2011
Autopsy set for U.S. man accused of Craigslist murder
Fresh face Rooney Mara lands lead in "Dragon Tattoo"
BlackBerry to give India partial access: source |
Obama and Hollywood: State of their Union
China US debt holdings lowest level in a year: Treasury
Vedanta fuels expansion with Cairn India stake
India inflation slows to single digits
Pakistani July foreign investment falls 18.5 pct
Doctors discover tumor in Michael Douglas' throat |
China overshadows Japan economy as growth slows
Fresh face Rooney Mara lands lead in Dragon Tattoo |
Edie Falco won't rule out Sopranos movie |
Pakistani stocks end 2.9 pct lower on flood worries
Obama and Hollywood: State of their Union |
Indonesian president aims for economy to be 'uncaged'
Kirin's net profit halved in first-half, cuts forecast
Samsung sets up fund to help S.Korean contractors
Eye on Afghanistan, Gates hopes to quit in 2011
British airports strike averted
World Bank pledges $900 million in flood aid to Pakistan |
S.Korea Cresyn: paid no improper fees to Apple manager
China strikes a worry but no strategy change yet: execs |
Iran sets timetable for third uranium plant
Court blocks California gay marriage
Mexico approves controversial Televisa mobile bid
Suspect ship seen before Japan tanker blast: report |
Rivals stop coalition talks in Iraq in sectarian row
Darfur expels five aid workers
Asia suppliers respond to Apple kickback charges
Suicide bomber targets Iraqi army recruits, kills 39 |
Israel rejects 'preconditions' for direct peace talks
Only one dies in Colombia airliner crash miracle |
Four Democrats urge U.S. to act on Internet traffic
Facebook scammers spreading fake 'Dislike' button
U.S. prosecutors ask 6 months prison for ex-IBM exec
WTO raps EU tariffs on technology goods
Facebook a growing stage for video viewing
Mudslides kill at least 15 in Sichuan
World Bank pledges £574 million in flood aid to Pakistan
Analysis: Petraeus media blitz seeks to calm fears
China launches global search for six panda keepers
Dell in billion-dollar deal to buy 3Par data storage firm
Missing haunt flood-hit Indian region
JetBlue Guy: Hollywood's most wanted
India gives mobile operator deadline on BlackBerry |
Asian firms probe Apple kickback claims |
Original "Dragon Tattoo" girl lands in Hollywood
Pentagon warning over China military build-up
Four Democrats urge U.S. to act on Internet traffic |
Zsa Zsa Gabor refuses operation and goes home
AOL to launch 500 more local sites this year |
Granny tweets as Oz voters embrace social media
Axl Rose's Twitter page hacked |
Rooney Mara scores lead in adaptations of Larsson trilogy
Indonesia cuts Australia drug traffickers' sentences
China fireworks factory blast toll up to 19
U.S. prosecutors ask 6 months prison for ex-IBM exec |
N.Korea flew drone over sensitive border: S.Korea
Australia's 'Ramadan lounge' Muslim tourist plans
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
JetBlue Guy: Hollywood's most wanted
Dolph Lundgren flexes box office muscle
Axl Rose's Twitter page hacked
Original "Dragon Tattoo" girl lands in Hollywood
World No. 2 economy 'still developing', says China
Seoul shares edge up 0.7 pct; Doosan E&C jumps
Zsa Zsa Gabor refuses operation and goes home
Katy Perry's "California Gurls" on safe ground
Protest at Taiwan's main oil refinery
How Rooney Mara became Girl With Dragon Tattoo |
Pakistan c.bank buys 11.50 bln rupees of govt paper
"Trust" tries to whip you into submission
JetBlue Guy: Hollywood's most wanted |
Rush concert a workout for air drummers
S.Korea spotted buying dlrs to check won-dealers
Dolph Lundgren flexes box office muscle |
China says foreign direct investment up 20 percent
Fresh face Rooney Mara lands lead in Dragon Tattoo |
PAKISTAN
Wall Street lukewarm to Hulu IPO plans |
PREVIEW-Taiwan Q2 GDP growth seen slowing to 10.1 pct
Memorable homecoming for Aerosmith, J. Geils Band |
South Korea, Bolivia to sign lithium deal
Katy Perry's California Gurls on safe ground |
Axl Rose's Twitter page hacked |
Seoul shares edge up 0.7 pct; Doosan E&C jumps
New victim in India-Pakistan 'cyberwar'
AOL to launch 500 more local sites this year
Afghanistan formally orders security firms to disband
Afghanistan orders ban on private security firms |
Jazz photographer Herman Leonard dead at 87
Iran says won't send condemned woman to Brazil
Suicide blast kills 59 at Iraq army recruitment centre
Israeli in Facebook storm defends prisoner photos |
Bombs kill eight civilians in Afghanistan
Bomber kills 57 Iraq army recruits; judges targeted
Israeli in Facebook storm defends prisoner photos
Microsoft's Kinect to hit EMEA stores Nov 10
Hezbollah gives Hariri evidence to Lebanon judiciary |
Gaza's once vibrant tunnel trade caves in |
Two Israeli soldiers wounded in attack from Gaza
Ex-Israeli soldier mystified over Facebook uproar
Suicide bomb and cafe blast claim lives in Caucasus |
Iran tells West to stay out of woman's stoning case
Heat probably killed thousands in Moscow: scientist |
Taiwan parliament passes historic China trade pact
10 killed in Afghan bomb attacks
Smoking in China 'as serious as SARS': WHO
Australian PM backs republic after queen's death
Israel has '8 days' to hit Iran nuclear site: Bolton
Japanese tango champs bid for new success
Canada probes who paid for Tamil refugees' travel
Coup, illness all part of writer Frederick Forsyth's research
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
UAE, Blackberry may soon resolve spat: diplomats |
Sri Lanka vets go on strike over elephants
Pakistan wins more flood aid
Japanese tango duo look to hold on to world crown
How Rooney Mara became "Girl With Dragon Tattoo"
Wedbush initiates Google with underperform |
S.Korean president defends unification tax
U.S. neighborhood bookstores thrive in digital age |
More heavy rains in western China kill 51
Microsoft's Kinect to hit EMEA stores Nov 10 |
Pakistan July c/a deficit narrows to $635 mln
China's telcos gear up on 3G in growth push |
China to let foreign banks into interbank bond market
Pakistani stocks up; rupee firms; o/n rates down
Asian markets mixed as recovery fears persist
Weak Japan must harness China's rise, say analysts
China Unicom to launch Apple iPhone 4 next month
Taiwan parliament debates China trade pact
Doctors discover tumor in Michael Douglas' throat |
Ailing Zsa Zsa Gabor to spend final days at home |
Coup, illness all part of writer Frederick Forsyth's research |
Was James Bond just a neo-fascist gangster? |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01