Gates hopes to find a strategy that is more effective in Iraq than the current strategy.
Which begs the question, what exactly is the end goal for which we need a more effective strategy?

Gates said the U.S. is NOT winning in Iraq, then went on to say the United States is neither winning nor losing, “at this point.”
Which begs the question: What is neither winning nor losing, a stalemate? Hardly, the violence and destruction continues unabated ... in fact steadily gets worse.

If this is not winning, then what exactly are we fighting for, to lose more?

Bush still insists we are winning, which begs the question: Who are WE? According to the military’s first census of the growing population of civilians operating in Iraq, “there are about 100,000 government contractors operating in Iraq, not counting subcontractors, a total that is approaching the size of the U.S. military force there.”

SOMEBODY’S winning.
Maybe we need to take the PROFIT out of war!

Could it be THE GOAL WAS TO CREATE CHAOS?
To create civil war, create such an unstable situation that other governments and other peoples would be drawn into the melee. Which in turn would create new “terrorists” from countries that Bush likes to describe as evil and a threat to the US. Which in turn gives justification to Bush’s GWOT (Global War On Terror) and a ready excuse to go meddling in every other country in the Middle East (excepting Israel of course) and create more billions for the war profiteers. And of course, place total control of the energy from these “unstable” countries finally and firmly under, well you know who’s control.

If the goal was chaos, then absolutely we have won!

Or maybe the goal is no more complicated than to give a man who would be president the legacy of War President.
Does anyone really believe Gates, or anyone else selected by Bush will end this insanity we call the War in Iraq?

Quoting Paul Krugman:
“How do you ask a man to be the last to die for a bully’s ego?”

George Bush Would rather the country go banrupt than admit Iraq was a mistake. And he is willing to take the Republican party and more importantly America with him. Pretty soon America will fall like the USSR, and China will become the world’s superpower. And Bush Wont’ care. He’ll be back to being a drunk on his Texas ranch with secret service protection for him and his alcoholic daughters while the rest of America continues to suffer for the rest of our lives for what he has done to America

No matter who’s secretary of defense, we see to it that Congress passes the Kucinich bill to cut off all funding for the Iraq war and right away the troops come home and then our president gets impeached..  Gates, though, for his role in the Contra war could face trial at the International Court of Criminal Justice on the charge of crimes against humanity.  “Members of the jury, have you arrived at a verdict?”  “Yes, your honor.  Guilty as charged.”

“No winning war in Iraq” was the answer of R. Gates at the confirmation hearing. This response shows he’s a “little bit” smarter than King George and Don Rumsfeld.

But when do our troops be withdrawn from Iraq will be another question.

yeah, but this is an iran-contra war criminal.
we won’t have it. prison for these killers, new blood to take care of their mess.
PERIOD