Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

On Obama vs. Cheney, and Gates vs. Congress

I keep on thinking of something a friend of mine who was a senior Army officer involved in Guantanamo policy once said to me. This officer had recommended closing the place years ago. Why? I asked. The reason was strategic: “Because we can’t win a war for our values by undermining them.” Meanwhile, Defense Secretary ...

585611_090522_annapolisb2.jpg
585611_090522_annapolisb2.jpg

I keep on thinking of something a friend of mine who was a senior Army officer involved in Guantanamo policy once said to me. This officer had recommended closing the place years ago. Why? I asked. The reason was strategic: “Because we can’t win a war for our values by undermining them.”

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gates revealed on the Today show this morning that there are terrorists on American soil — and in fact, behind bars. “We have many terrorists in U.S. prisons today. I mean, this started 20 years ago when I was at CIA, and we captured a Hezbollah terrorist who had been involved in killing an American sailor on an aircraft that had been taken hostage in Beirut. We brought him to the United States, put him on trial and put him in prison.”

Gates, who is a straight shooter, added, “The truth is, there’s a lot of fear-mongering about this.”

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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