Gates explains Iran and Guatanamo policies to the Senate

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee about the FY09 Budget request for the Department of Defense. The total budget is $515.4 billion or 3.4 percent of U.S. GDP. $35 Billion more than last budget period. The budget includes $183.8 billion for modernization. Included in legislation is a request is for $70 billion in bridge funding which goes to funding the war. Gates made the complaint that the Congress still has not authorized the war supplemental request from $108 billion. Gates repeated a point made by his press secretary that Army payroll accounts could be dry by June if the Congress does not pass both the DoD budget and the war supplemental funding measures.

One of the most interesting exchanges occurred between Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Sec. Gates. Specter asked repeated question about the U.S. diplomatic relationship with Iran. Specter made reference to statements made by Gates last week, when he said that the U.S. should seek out more leverage to negotiate with Iran. Specter argued that the United States had more leverage in 2003 at the beginning of the war, when government of Iran seemed open to some kind of talks. Specter also said that it ridiculous to use our ultimate goal–the cessation of Iran’s nuclear activities– as a precondition to talks. “We sit across from them and speculate,” said Specter saying that only more direct talks will lead to figuring out more leverage.

Also interesting was Sen. Diane Feinstein’s (D-Calif) questions on the progress of a DoD investigation into the possibility of closing Guantanamo Bay prison. “Frankly, we’re stuck,” responded Gates. He outlined the roadblocks. Gates said that the Defense Department is struggling to get foreign countries to accept their detainees back, to ensure that accepted detainees are further detained and not let go, and to place detainees that will not be accepted back, will not be tried, but can not be released because of the risk that they will again engage in terrorism against the United States. Feinstein was critical saying that the investigation has done nothing so far to “absolve the massive loss of credibility” the U.S. has suffered over Guantanamo.