Administration Position
Views of Defense Secretary Robert Gates
As drafted, the amendment would dramatically limit the Nation’s ability to respond to other national security needs while we remain engaged in Iraq or Afghanistan. Although the amendment language does provide the President a waiver for "operational emergencies," it is neither practical nor desirable for the President to have to rely on waivers to manage the global demands on U.S. military forces. Moreover, the amendment would serve to advance the dangerous perception by regional adversaries that the United States is tied down and overextended. Further, the amendment, if adopted, would impose upon the President an unacceptable choice between 1) accelerating…
