Retired General Gates Discusses Afghanistan Strategy and Obama Administration

21 differences between their departments, and working with a younger generation, the two have bonded. "Hillary and I call ourselves the Old Folks Caucus," Gates quips. "And I must say, it's the first time in my life I've worked for a president who was 20 years younger than I was." Gates's tenure had difficult moments, too. Three years ago, he rejected requests from Gen. David McKiernan, his then top commander in Afghanistan, for more troops, believing there weren't enough resources. Gates stayed the course until 2009, when he argued for the troop surge that now appears to have stalled the insurgency. Gates acknowledges a historical similarity to the Vietnam War. "There is one parallel that I think is appropriate, and that is we came to the right strategy and the right resources very late in the game," Gates says. "President Obama, I think, got the right strategy and the right resources for Afghanistan--but eight years in." In Afghanistan, Gates leaves behind a difficult, unfinished piece of business: to convince Congress and war-weary Americans that any major U.S. withdrawal should be delayed by a year--a deferment sought by military commanders on the ground. Likewise, Gates won't be around for what may be the most delicate aspect of the exit strategy--trying to broker reconciliation between the Taliban and the Afghan ruling parties aligned with the U.S. "I'm not saying it'll all be settled," says Gates. "I'm just saying you could begin a serious dialogue by the end of the year." But, he concedes, "asking for another year is hard." HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_032191