Source says 'outsider' Gates prepped for confirmation by Cheney's office
by Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Friday December 22, 2006

Newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates may not be as independent from the Bush administration when it comes to matters of defense as some have suggested, considering that one well-placed source tells RAW STORY Gates was briefed for his Senate confirmation hearings by the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

...according to a former high ranking CIA official close to the key players, Gates was prepped for his Senate confirmation hearings by high level Cheney staffers, including David Addington, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, and David Wurmser, Cheney's Middle East advisor.

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News reports Tuesday confirming the deployment plans for a second gulf carrier make more clear than ever that the US buildup in the Gulf is in direct response to perceived threats from Iran.

Trita Parsi, a Middle East expert at Johns Hopkins University who studied under former Neo-conservative philosopher and economist Francis Fukuyama, says that he finds these developments very "concerning." Parsi says that he is particularly concerned by the placement of ships in the region as a deterrent, coupled with the already increased activity from the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries.

"It is coinciding with increased arms sales to the GCC states, as well as efforts by some of these GCC states to get the US to take sides in the Iraqi civil war," Parsi told RAW STORY. "If Washington chooses to do so, the risk for a regional war will be considerable. The Bush Administration's allergy towards talking to Iran is increasing tensions in the region by the minute at a time when things already are too explosive."

Another CIA official reiterates what has been already reported here and in and other publications for the past year, that "Cheney has promised that Iran will be taken care of by spring [of 2007]."... http://tinyurl.com/ydz9rx [Open in new window]

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