Robert Gates on NATO

[Dinner]

He's mad that Europeans have said a decade is long enough for Afghanistan so he's trying to brow beat them into staying another decade. It won't work.

[Dauphin]

Neither do I, but that doesn't change the fact that the UK and France pushed for it.

It was an elaborate troll against Robert Gates.

[Hauldren Collider]

Well, in the present, the benefits to Europe aren't negligible since the US is largely funding and carrying out operations in Libya.

I thought Euro aircraft were performing most of the sorties? All we've done is give them bombs and drones.

[Asher]

The US has admirably devoted several video game pilots back in Nevada to fly drones around, whilst they complain about no one else getting their hands dirty.

[Zevico]

"If current trends in the decline of European defence capabilities are not halted and reversed, future US political leaders – those for whom the cold war was not the formative experience that it was for me – may not consider the return on America's investment in Nato worth the cost."

Is this a reference to B.O.?

[Lorizael]

The US has admirably devoted several video game pilots back in Nevada to fly drones around, whilst they complain about no one else getting their hands dirty.

Drone piloting does get your hands dirty, especially if the last person at the controls was eating a donut.

[BeBMan]

Or a bagel.

[Lorizael]

Anti-semite!

[BeBMan]

[Dr Strangelove]

"If current trends in the decline of European defence capabilities are not halted and reversed, future US political leaders – those for whom the cold war was not the formative experience that it was for me – may not consider the return on America's investment in Nato worth the cost."

Notice that he didn't say this until he was in the process of leaving office. Also note that nowhere in there does he enjoin American leadership to take into consideration the needs of the rest of NATO's members.

[Felch]

He knows how to leave a job with style.