Gates: U.S. ready to defend Mid-East interest 'for decades'

U.S. Military Bases in or adjacent to the Mideast

TAMPA, Fla. — The U.S. is ready to defend its interests in the Middle East for decades to come, even though the Iraq war has been tougher than expected, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

Gates made the comments at a ceremony where Navy Adm. William Fallon was being formally installed as the new head of U.S. Central Command, putting him in charge of American forces in the Middle East and Central Asia. Gates said the U.S. will continue to stand by its allies in the region.

The U.S is “dedicated to strengthening those commitments and defending our interests for the decades to come. And we will do all in our power to protect and defend our homeland,” he said.

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