Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates are surrounded by Russell Ramsey, chairman of the board of trustees at George Washington University, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, GW’s Frank Sesno, and GW President Steven Knapp. (Kiran Sood/MNS)
{Story by Kiran Sood }
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Monday defended President Barack Obama’s right to consult privately with key advisers on what to do in Afghanistan. Gates made the remarks to a group of students at George Washington University in a taping for a CNN show that was broadcast Tuesday.
“The president deserves the candid advice of his senior advisers, both civilian and military, but that advice should be private,” Gates said.
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Kara Dunford, freshman in political communication: “At some places people camp out for concert tickets and here it’s like, ‘We’re going to see the two secretaries!'”
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KoHyn Choi, graduate student in international affairs: “Letting them know that we are listening and we are engaged really is important.”
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Scott Spector, freshman in political science: “It was just a really cool experience. When you get to see both of those people together, it was just awesome.”
Photos by Kiran Sood/MNS
Audio by Kristin Maiorano/MNS
Gates was being asked questions because of recent turmoil over comments by General Stanley McChrystal, the top American commander in Afghanistan, who recently issued his recommendation to add another 40,000 troops on top of the 68,000 Americans already deployed there and appeared to publicly quarrel with the president on future direction for military strategy for the war there.
Despite protests over McChrystal’s comments, Gates said he continues to support the general as “exactly the right person to be the commander in Afghanistan right now.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was the other guest for the discussion, said Obama must be able to deliberate in private, but that there’s no question that, once a decision is made, everyone will follow the president’s orders.
“This process that President Obama has put together is the most open and most thorough that I’ve read about. And it is very much an invitation for everybody to come to the table. And that’s what we’re doing,” Clinton said.
The topic of Afghanistan came up frequently in the discussion, moderated by CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour and former CNN anchor Frank Sesno, now director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs.
As students in military history classes can confirm, the chain of command puts the president at the top of the ladder, followed by the secretary of defense, the nation’s combatant commanders, and finally, the combat forces. The president communicates often with U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and any advice given is not taken lightly. However, the ultimate decision lies with the president, as everyone at the Monday discussion affirmed.
As the nation eagerly awaits the president’s decision on whether to strengthen the number of troops in Afghanistan, Gates and Clinton acknowledged that the process is not yet complete.
“I think that’s the way the process ought to work. I think the president has made it clear he is prepared to spend whatever time is needed in person, not only with the Joint Chiefs and the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but with General McChrystal, to make sure they have had plenty of time to present their views directly to him,” Gates said.
Through Monday’s event, the two Cabinet members showed a group of university students a modern example of a textbook concept.