Gates leaves legacy of major achievements, contradictions

[Geee]

Washington Times:

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates leaves office Thursday popular with the liberal Washington establishment, but not so with conservatives chafed by his budget cutting and his enthusiastic support for open gays in the ranks.

In some ways, Mr. Gates‘ 4 1/2-year tenure under two presidents was one of big achievements but stark contradictions.

He shepherded a surge of combat troops in Iraq under President George W. Bush, then did the same under President Obama in Afghanistan. Yet he delivered a major policy address at the U.S. Military Academy in which he said any future defense secretary who recommends such wars should “have his head examined.”

Mr. Gates opened the door to budget cuts through weapons terminations two years ago, including the Air Force’s most advanced fighter and the Marine Corps‘ next amphibious fighting vehicle. He also wants $100 billion in Pentagon savings and, with his 2012 budget, put the brakes on annual defense budget increases after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The $670 billion plan is $38 billion below last year’s proposal.

Today, Mr. Gates is warning about the cuts he started, as the White House eyes $400 billion in additional reductions after he leaves Washington.