Who is Robert Gates....?

US Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates has told a senate committee that the US is not winning the world in Iraq.

The committee approved him to replace Donald Rumsfield who resigned last month. The Senate should vote by the end of the week, approval expected.

"Our course over the next year or two will determine whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the US will face a slowly but steadily improving situation in Iraq or... the very real risk and possible reality of a regional conflagration," he said.

Regarding Iraq, he was asked by Democratic senator Carl Levin, if he believed the US was winning, Gates replied: “No, Sir”.

He also stated that the US should attack Iran only as a last resort and would not back military action against Syria.

Called for a broad bipartisan on how to fight war on terror.

Gates was described as a "refreshing breath of reality" and was promised a speedy confimation.

What is this? Bush et al becoming all humble, changing their direction on war in Iraq and open to ideas. Was it a Road to Damascus life- enhancing experience? Get real. These are still the lying cheating warmongering terrorists known as the Republicans. Just what have they up their sleeves?

What is the real story here and who the hell is Robert Gates? It is said that Gates and Rumsfeld sip from the same “ideological Kool-Aid jug”.

Gates is ex-CIA. He was nominated for CIA director in 1991 and confirmed. Hmmmm. Lets look a bit further into the murky background of Gates. He was questioned for allegedly giving intelligence to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war. He was also investigated for his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair.

In 1991 Senator Tom Daschle had deep concerns about Gates becoming director of Central Intelligence. He argued:

''if Robert Gates cooked the books to advocate the ideological position of the administration while serving as deputy director for intelligence and deputy director of Central Intelligence, is it possible that U.S. intelligence under his guidance will continue to politicize intelligence? My answer is, 'We cannot afford to take that chance'.'

Bush has got an ex-spook who is partial to overthrowing democratically elected governments, manipulation and "cooking the evidence" (allegedly).

Make no mistake Gates is a cynical operator and is gonna cause a hell of a lot of trouble for anti-imperialists everywhere. I wonder if he has a "special brief" for Venezuela?