Statement of Senator Dodd on Gates Nomination
Statement of Senator Dodd on Gates Nomination
"Yesterday, American voters spoke loudly and clearly they told the President and the Congress that it's time for a new direction here at home and in Iraq. Today, the President finally acknowledged that we need new leadership at the Pentagon. But it will take more than a personnel change to take our country in a new direction toward making America safer and respected again around the globe.
"We need a fundamental shift in our Iraq policy and a substantial effort to repair the damage this Administration has caused to our Armed Forces. 2,839 brave American service members have been killed in Iraq and over $300 billion has been spent there. But there is another cost of war the erosion of our military's readiness. According to authoritative reports, two-thirds of the U.S. Army is unable to report for combat duty. Inexplicably, Secretary Rumsfeld had reportedly once again refused the Army's top leaders' requests to address this serious concern by funding the replacement and repair of vehicles and equipment lost or worn out in combat.
"It is my fervent hope that a new Secretary of Defense will do what this Administration has seemed unwilling to do up until nowlisten to our generals about our security needs both in Iraq and elsewhere. I will be watching the upcoming confirmation process very carefully to discern whether Mr. Gates has the capacity to both listen to and lead our military in a new direction. These hearings will certainly explore his past tenure at the CIA fifteen years ago, including prior allegations of politicized intelligence. By all accounts Mr. Gates did a credible job as the Director of the CIA. It is my hope that his past experience has sensitized him to the danger that politicized intelligence can pose to our nation's national security and to the ability of our military commanders to understand and carry out the mission on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere as they seek to advance US interests. Our nation and our Armed Forces are facing significant challenges, and, above all else, Mr. Gates needs to demonstrate his ability to meet today's security concerns head-on, swiftly and effectively, without any ideological agenda. I will keep an open mind as his nomination goes forward."
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3649