Gates Tapped as Pentagon Chief After Rumsfeld Exit

President George W. Bush nominated former CIA director Robert Gates as secretary of defense on 8 November 2006, filling the vacancy left by Donald Rumsfeld's resignation after Democrats swept to control of the House of Representatives in midterm elections.

Bush acknowledged that voter dissatisfaction with the Iraq war was a central factor in the Democratic gains, and said he had already met privately with Gates the previous Sunday, before the election results were in, to discuss the post.

Gates directed the Central Intelligence Agency from 1991 to 1993 and has served six presidents across both parties, rising from an entry-level agency position to become director of central intelligence. He is currently president of Texas A&M University.

Bush called Gates "a steady, solid leader" who could help the administration adjust its approach to current security challenges. If the Senate confirms him, Gates would bring more than 25 years of national-security experience to the Pentagon.

Gates had also been participating in the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, a panel preparing policy recommendations for the president on the Iraq situation, expected to be delivered within weeks.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.