Gates: Toned-Down Nuclear Policies Do Not Apply To Iran, North Korea

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that a set of new policies designed to downplay the strategic role of nuclear weapons will not prevent the U.S. from using nuclear force against Iran and North Korea if necessary.

“The [new policies have] a very strong message for both Iran and North Korea,” Gates told reporters.

Gates explained that the new guidelines, introduced in the Defense Department’s Nuclear Posture Review, apply only to the 189 nations that have signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Neither Iran or North Korea are signatories.

“All options are on the table for countries in that category along with non state actors who might acquire nuclear weapons,” Gates stated.

Under the new guidelines, the U.S. nuclear stockpile will primarily be used as a deterrent against nuclear attacks alone. The U.S. will be restricted from using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear armed nations that have signed the NPT, even if said nations launch a biological or chemical attack.

However, Gates noted that this new restriction is not set in stone.

“The United States reserves the right to make any adjustment t to this policy that may be warranted by the evolution or proliferation of biological weapons,” Gates warned.

The Nuclear Posture Review also states that the U.S. will not test nuclear weapons or develop new nuclear warheads.

Pentagon To Weigh Benefits Of Lifting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

By Monique Cala- University of New Mexico/ Talk Radio News Service

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced Tuesday during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon is preparing to repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ by launching a 45 day study on the effects of lifting the controversial measure that has banned gays from serving openly in the military.

“We have received our orders from the Commander in Chief and we are moving out accordingly,” said Gates. “However, we can only take this process so far, as the ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress.”

Admiral Michael Mullen announced his support for the president's call to repeal the measure.

“It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. We have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are, in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity. Theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.”

Mullen said he will give the president “the best military advice” on how to implement the repeal.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) presented the committee with a list of over a thousand signatures of former military officers opposing the lift of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.'

“This would be a substantial and controversial change to a policy that has been successful for two decades,” said McCain. “It would also present yet, another challenge to our military at a time of already tremendous stress and strain.”

Both Mullen and Gates agreed that the 45 day study will help repeal 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' without negatively affecting those who are already deployed.

“We believe that any implementation plan for a policy permitting gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces must be carefully derived, sufficiently thorough, and thoughtfully executed,” said Mullen.

Gates Defends Pace Of Haitian Relief Effort

Defense Secretary Robert Gates Friday defended the pace at which U.S. resources are reaching Haiti.

"I don't know how this government could have acted faster," Gates said during a press briefing with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen. "There are just some certain facts of life."

Although the U.S. began mobilizing its relief efforts shortly after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged Haiti, a large portion of supplies slated to be delivered via-boat will not arrive until this weekend.

The defense secretary outlined a number of limitations, including the speed of the vessels, the small size of Haiti's airport and the collapse of the country's infrastructure.

According to both Gates and Mullen, using airdrops to provide necessary resources was rejected early-on in the planning stages. Gates noted that there were concerns that dropping supplies onto the distressed Caribbean nation could lead to riots. Thus far, according to Gates, there has been some level of scavenging for food and water, coupled with minor looting.

By Monday, Haiti is expected to have access to 9,000-10,000 U.S. troops, both on and off-shore. According to Mullen, there is still a possibility that more can be sent as details of the country's status develop.

"We are poised to do that," said Mullen. "[The U.S.] always has a ready brigade."

Secretary Gates: Combat troops out by August 2010, all troops out by 2011

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

Following President Barack Obama’s address at Camp Lejeune, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates hosted a conference call where he discussed Obama’s strategy to end the war in Iraq.

In his opening comments Secretary Gates said: “The atmosphere here at Camp Lejeune for the speech was very warm, very enthusiastic and I would also say that the welcome has been pretty extraordinary.”

“On the substance I am obviously very supportive of the option the President has chosen and the decision he has made as is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Frankly, this is where both the Chairman and I thought this should come out and it was a very thorough and deliberative process where a lot of different options and a lot of different analysis were examined,” said Gates.

Asked about Obama’s statement that all troops would be out of Iraq by 2011, Secretary Gates said: “Under the terms of the status of forces agreement which is what we are operating under now all U.S. forces must be out by the end of 2011. It will require a new agreement, a new negotiation, almost certainly at Iraqi initiative to provide for some presence beyond the end of 2011. So in the absence of that agreement and the absence of that negotiation, for such an agreement, it is in keeping with the sofa to say definitively that we will be out by 2011.”

Asked what would happen if Iraqi forces asked for the U.S. military to remain in Iraq to assist with training and strengthening, Gates said: “It’s a hypothetical the Iraqis have not said anything about that at this point...My own view would be, that, we should be prepared to have some very modest size presence, for training and helping them with their new equipment and providing perhaps intelligence support, beyond that.”

In his address Obama said that all combat troops would be out of Iraq by August 31, 2010. Asked whether the remaining non-combat troops would have combat capability, Gates said: “Those that are left will have a combat capability...there will be target counter-terrorism organizations, there will be continued embeds with some of the Iraqi forces, training capacities...but the units will have gone and the mission will have changed, so the notion of being engaged in combat, in the way we have been up until now, will be completely different.”

Gates: U.S. will partner with Russia on Iranian Missile Defense

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that, “we are concerned about the Iranian missile threat and as long as that threat exists we will continue to pursue missile defense.” He goes on to say that, “we want to pursue it in partnership not only with our NATO allies but also with the Russians.”