While the Republican Presidential candidates were talking policy on ABC this morning, Tim Russert had Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on the air discussing the situation in Iraq. It was a fascinating interview as you can from an excerpt from the transcript below (courtesy of http://www.msnbc.com/):
MR. RUSSERT: Should the Iraqi parliament have stayed in session?
SEC’Y GATES: Yes. In fact, when I was in Iraq two months ago, I urged—I strongly urged the presidency council and the, and the prime minister that council of representatives not go out.
MR. RUSSERT: Because the signal it sends, sends to the U.S., whose sons and daughters are over there in 130-degree heat carrying their extraordinarily heavy packs, fighting every day, and the Iraqis adjourn without reconciling.
SEC’Y GATES: Well, I was—I was actually even more blunt than that to them. I said, “We have—for every day that we buy you, we’re buying it with American blood, and the idea of you going on vacation is unacceptable.”
The complete transcript can be found here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20094638/
MR. RUSSERT: Should the Iraqi parliament have stayed in session?
SEC’Y GATES: Yes. In fact, when I was in Iraq two months ago, I urged—I strongly urged the presidency council and the, and the prime minister that council of representatives not go out.
MR. RUSSERT: Because the signal it sends, sends to the U.S., whose sons and daughters are over there in 130-degree heat carrying their extraordinarily heavy packs, fighting every day, and the Iraqis adjourn without reconciling.
SEC’Y GATES: Well, I was—I was actually even more blunt than that to them. I said, “We have—for every day that we buy you, we’re buying it with American blood, and the idea of you going on vacation is unacceptable.”
The complete transcript can be found here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20094638/
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