By Susan Cornwell and Andrew Gray
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Robert Gates, President George W. Bush's choice to take over the Pentagon, said on Tuesday America was not winning in Iraq and warned that the Middle East could explode into violence.
The Senate Armed Services Committee recommended unanimously that Gates be confirmed as successor to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after just a day of questioning the former CIA director, who said all options for stabilizing Iraq were on the table.
Asked by Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan if the United States was winning in Iraq, Gates replied: "No, sir."
Gates' answer contradicted a declaration by Bush on October 25 that "absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq. White House spokesman Tony Snow insisted Gates shared Bush's goals in Iraq but had been brought in to take a fresh look at policy.
Gates gave few clues on how he thought U.S. fortunes in Iraq could be improved, saying he wanted to consult first with military commanders and others.
But he showed an interest in more training of Iraqi forces -- an option already being pursued by U.S. commanders.
"If our focus is on training and bringing up the Iraqi army, do we have enough trainers to do that job in Iraq? And should we be embedding more of our troops with the Iraqis?" he asked.
In the more than three years since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq, the conflict has claimed the lives more than 2,900 American troops and at least tens of thousands of Iraqis.
"Our course over the next year or two will determine whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the United States will face a slowly and steadily improving situation in Iraq and in the region or will face the very real risk of a regional conflagration," Gates told the hearing.
Gates' nomination now goes to the full Senate, where he is also expected to win easy approval as early as on Wednesday. The White House urged the Senate to move swiftly.
CANDOR WELCOMED
Gates said his impression that America was not winning in Iraq was based largely on his work in the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that is to make recommendations to Bush on Wednesday. Gates served on the panel until he was nominated.
Gates said he believed the United States was not losing the war either "at this point."
Concerned about the impact of his words on troops in Iraq, he later stressed his comments on winning and losing related to overall efforts to stabilize Iraq, not to military combat.
"Our military forces win the battles that they fight," he said.
Bush nominated Gates to replace Rumsfeld -- an architect of the unpopular war -- after the president's Republican Party lost control of both houses of Congress in elections last month, driven largely by voter anger over Iraq.
Many Democrats want a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, to begin in four to six months, and say their victory in last month's election gives that option a popular mandate.
Although Gates offered few hints of his thoughts on strategy, senators from both parties praised him for his straight talking about the situation in Iraq.
"Dr. Gates, thank you for your candor. That's something that has been sorely lacking from the current occupant in the position that you seek to hold," said Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
Gates also told senators he believed Iran was trying to acquire nuclear arms capability but military action in that crisis should be an "absolute last resort."
"We have seen in Iraq that once war is unleashed, it becomes unpredictable, and I think the consequences of military conflict with Iran could be quite dramatic," he said.
He told senators Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and Syria were all likely to get involved in Iraq if it was left in chaos.
He also said Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had become more of a symbol than an active plotter of attacks. Gates also made clear he did not favor an attack on Syria, another foe of the United States in the Middle East.
Gates, 63, has no Pentagon experience but he is a former CIA analyst who ran the agency from 1991 to 1993.
(Additional reporting by Kristin Roberts and Steve Holland)
Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Robert Gates, President George W. Bush's choice to take over the Pentagon, said on Tuesday America was not winning in Iraq and warned that the Middle East could explode into violence.
The Senate Armed Services Committee recommended unanimously that Gates be confirmed as successor to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after just a day of questioning the former CIA director, who said all options for stabilizing Iraq were on the table.
Asked by Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan if the United States was winning in Iraq, Gates replied: "No, sir."
Gates' answer contradicted a declaration by Bush on October 25 that "absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq. White House spokesman Tony Snow insisted Gates shared Bush's goals in Iraq but had been brought in to take a fresh look at policy.
Gates gave few clues on how he thought U.S. fortunes in Iraq could be improved, saying he wanted to consult first with military commanders and others.
But he showed an interest in more training of Iraqi forces -- an option already being pursued by U.S. commanders.
"If our focus is on training and bringing up the Iraqi army, do we have enough trainers to do that job in Iraq? And should we be embedding more of our troops with the Iraqis?" he asked.
In the more than three years since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq, the conflict has claimed the lives more than 2,900 American troops and at least tens of thousands of Iraqis.
"Our course over the next year or two will determine whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the United States will face a slowly and steadily improving situation in Iraq and in the region or will face the very real risk of a regional conflagration," Gates told the hearing.
Gates' nomination now goes to the full Senate, where he is also expected to win easy approval as early as on Wednesday. The White House urged the Senate to move swiftly.
CANDOR WELCOMED
Gates said his impression that America was not winning in Iraq was based largely on his work in the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that is to make recommendations to Bush on Wednesday. Gates served on the panel until he was nominated.
Gates said he believed the United States was not losing the war either "at this point."
Concerned about the impact of his words on troops in Iraq, he later stressed his comments on winning and losing related to overall efforts to stabilize Iraq, not to military combat.
"Our military forces win the battles that they fight," he said.
Bush nominated Gates to replace Rumsfeld -- an architect of the unpopular war -- after the president's Republican Party lost control of both houses of Congress in elections last month, driven largely by voter anger over Iraq.
Many Democrats want a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, to begin in four to six months, and say their victory in last month's election gives that option a popular mandate.
Although Gates offered few hints of his thoughts on strategy, senators from both parties praised him for his straight talking about the situation in Iraq.
"Dr. Gates, thank you for your candor. That's something that has been sorely lacking from the current occupant in the position that you seek to hold," said Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
Gates also told senators he believed Iran was trying to acquire nuclear arms capability but military action in that crisis should be an "absolute last resort."
"We have seen in Iraq that once war is unleashed, it becomes unpredictable, and I think the consequences of military conflict with Iran could be quite dramatic," he said.
He told senators Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and Syria were all likely to get involved in Iraq if it was left in chaos.
He also said Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had become more of a symbol than an active plotter of attacks. Gates also made clear he did not favor an attack on Syria, another foe of the United States in the Middle East.
Gates, 63, has no Pentagon experience but he is a former CIA analyst who ran the agency from 1991 to 1993.
(Additional reporting by Kristin Roberts and Steve Holland)
Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited.