President Bush Nominates Dr. Robert M. Gates to be Secretary of DefenseThe Oval Office President's Remarks view Fact Sheet: Dr. Robert M. Gates: The Right Choice for Secretary of Defense In Focus: Defense 3:30 P.M. ESTTHE PRESIDENT:Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House.Earlier today I announced my intent to nominate Robert Gates to be thenext Secretary of Defense. And now I'm pleased to introduce him to theAmerican people. I also am looking forward to paying tribute to the manhe will succeed.America remains a nation at war. We face brutal enemies whodespise our freedom and want to destroy our way of life. These enemiesattacked our country on September the 11th, 2001; they fight us inAfghanistan and Iraq, and they remain determined to attack our countryagain.Against such enemies, there's only one way to protect theAmerican people: We must stay on the offense and bring our enemies tojustice before they hurt us again.In this time of war, the President relies on the Secretary ofDefense to provide military advice and direct our nation's Armed Forcesas they engage our enemies across the world. The Secretary of Defensemust be a man of vision who can see threats still over the horizon, andprepare our nation to meet them. Bob Gates is the right man to meetboth of these critical challenges.Bob is one of our nation's most accomplished public servants. Hejoined the CIA in 1966, and has nearly 27 years of national securityexperience, serving six Presidents of both political parties. He spentnearly nine years serving on the National Security Council staff. Andat the CIA, he rose from an entry-level employee to become the Directorof the Central Intelligence. And his experience has prepared him wellfor this new assignment.Bob understands the challenges we face in Afghanistan.AsPresident Reagan's Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, he helpedlead America's efforts to drive Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Successin these efforts weakened the Soviet regime and helped hasten freedom'svictory in the Cold War.Bob understands the challenges facing our nation in Iraq. Heserved as Deputy National Security Advisor to the first President Bushduring Operation Desert Storm as American troops repelled Iraqiaggression and drove Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait. Morerecently, he served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, a distinguishedindependent panel of Republicans and Democrats led by former Secretaryof State Jim Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton. As part of thiscommission, he has traveled to Iraq and met with the country's leadersand our military commanders on the ground. He'll provide the departmentwith a fresh perspective and new ideas on how America can achieve ourgoals in Iraq.Bob understands how to lead large, complex institutions andtransform them to meet new challenges.As Director of CentralIntelligence, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, he wasresponsible for leading all the foreign intelligence agencies of theUnited States.And he's brought that same leadership and abilities ashis work as President of our nation's sixth largest university, TexasA&M. When the A&M board of regents interviewed him for the job, hedescribed himself as an agent of change. As president, he delivered onthat promise, initiating wide-ranging reforms to almost every aspect ofcampus life. He'll bring that same transformational spirit to his workin the Department of Defense.Bob Gates is a patriot whose love for country was nurtured in theKansas community where he was raised. He's worn our nation's uniform.He's a strategic thinker who was educated at three of America's finestuniversities, receiving his bachelor's degree from William & Mary, amaster's degree in history from Indiana University, and a doctorate inRussian and Soviet history from Georgetown.He's a leader in the business community who served on the boards ofseveral major corporations. He's a man of integrity, candor and soundjudgment. He knows that the challenge of protecting our country islarger than any political party, and he has a record of working withleaders of both sides of the aisle to strengthen our national security.He has my confidence and my trust, and he will be an outstandingSecretary of Defense.Bob follows in the footsteps of one of America's most skilled andcapable national security leaders, Donald Rumsfeld. Don is thelongest-serving member of my Cabinet, and next month he will reachanother milestone when he becomes the longest-serving Secretary ofDefense in the history of our nation. I appreciate his willingness tocontinue serving until his successor is in place, because in a time ofwar, our nation cannot be without a strong and steady hand leading ourDepartment of Defense.Don has served in times of great consequence for our nation. Fewwill forget the image of Don Rumsfeld as he helped rescue workers carrythe victims from the rubble of the Pentagon on September the 11th, 2001.In the weeks that followed, he directed the effort to plan our nation'smilitary response to an unprecedented attack on our soil. Under hisleadership, U.S. and coalition forces launched one of the mostinnovative military campaigns in the history of modern warfare, drivingthe Taliban and its al Qaeda allies from power in a matter of weeks.In 2003, on my orders, he led the planning and execution of anotherhistoric military campaign, Operation Iraqi Freedom, that drove SaddamHussein from power and helped the Iraqi people establish aconstitutional democracy in the heart of the Middle East. History willrecord that on Don Rumsfeld's watch, the men and women of our militaryoverthrew two terrorist regimes, liberated some 50 million people,brought justice to the terrorist Zarqawi and scores of senior al Qaedaoperatives, and helped stop new terrorist attacks on our people.America is safer and the world is more secure because of theservice and the leadership of Donald Rumsfeld.As he led the Pentagonin an unprecedented war, Don never took his eye off another vitalresponsibility, preparing America for the threats that await us as thisnew century unfolds. He developed a new defense strategy. Heestablished a new Northern Command to protect the homeland, a new JointForces Command to focus on transformation, a new Strategic Command todefend against long-range attack, and transformed the U.S. SpecialOperations Command for the war on terror.He led our efforts to create a new NATO Response Force that allowsNATO to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world. He undertook the mostsweeping transformation of America's global force posture since the endof World War II. He revitalized America's efforts to develop and deployballistic missile defenses, and led a comprehensive review of America'snuclear forces that has allowed us to undertake dramatic reductions inoffensive nuclear weapons.Don's work in these areas did not often make the headlines. Butthe reforms that he has set in motion are historic, and they willenhance the security of the American people for decades to come.Over the past six years, I've relied on Don Rumsfeld's advice andcounsel. I've come to know his character and his integrity. As theSecretary of Defense, he has been dedicated to his mission, loyal to hisPresident, and devoted to the courageous men and women of our ArmedForces.Don once famously said, "There are known knowns; there are knownunknowns; and there are unknown unknowns." Well, Mr. Secretary, here isa known known:Your service has made America stronger, and made Americaa safer nation. You will be missed, and I wish you and Joyce all thebest in the years to come.Don Rumsfeld is a tough act to follow.That's why I picked a manof Bob Gates's caliber to succeed him.When confirmed by the Senate,Bob will bring talent, energy and innovation to the Department ofDefense. He'll work every day to keep the American people safe and tomake our nation more secure. And he'll do a superb job as America'snext Secretary of Defense.Bob, I appreciate you agreeing to serve our nation again, andcongratulations.DR. GATES: Thank you, sir. Mr. President, thank you for this highhonor and for your confidence.And let me add my thanks to SecretaryRumsfeld for his service.I entered public service 40 years ago last August. President Bushwill be the seventh President I have served. I had not anticipatedreturning to government service, and have never enjoyed any positionmore than being president of Texas A&M University. However, the UnitedStates is at war, in Iraq and Afghanistan. We're fighting againstterrorism worldwide. And we face other serious challenges to peace andour security. I believe the outcome of these conflicts will shape ourworld for decades to come. Because our long-term strategic interestsand our national and homeland security are at risk, because so many ofAmerica's sons and daughters in our Armed Forces are in harm's way, Idid not hesitate when the President asked me to return to duty.If confirmed by the Senate, I will serve with all my heart, andwith gratitude to the President for giving me the opportunity to do so.SECRETARY RUMSFELD: Bob Gates, my congratulations to you on thisnomination. My very best wishes. Look forward to working with you inthe transition.Mr. President, thank you for your kind words, and the whollyunexpected opportunity you provided me to serve in the Department ofDefense again these past years -- six years. It's been quite a time.It recalls to mind the statement by Winston Churchill, something to theeffect that "I have benefitted greatly from criticism, and at no timehave I suffered a lack thereof." (Laughter.)The great respect that I have for your leadership, Mr. President,in this little understood, unfamiliar war, the first war of the 21stcentury -- it is not well-known, it was not well-understood, it iscomplex for people to comprehend. And I know, with certainty, that overtime the contributions you've made will be recorded by history.I must say that it's been the highest honor of my life to servewith the talented men and women of the Department of Defense, theamazing men and women -- young men and women in uniform. It's aprivilege. And their patriotism, their professionalism, theirdedication is truly an inspiration. They have my respect; they willremain in my prayers always.Thank you.END3:42 P.M. EST Printer-Friendly Version Email this page to a friend IssuesBudget Management
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