Senate to confirm Gates' appointment as US defense Secy

Washington, Dec 6 (UNI) The US Senate is expected to ratify the appointment of former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Robert Gates as US Defense Secretary following the unanimous approval of his nomination by Senate Armed Services Committee.

During the committee hearing yesterday, Mr Gates frankly admitted he did not believe the United States was winning in Iraq. Doing a volte-face later, he said he also believed it is not currently losing in Iraq.

''Our course over the next year or two is whether the American and Iraqi people and the next president of the US will face a slowly but steadily improving situation in Iraq and in the region or face the very real risk and possible reality of a regional conflagration,'' said Mr Gates who would replace Donald Rumsfeld.

Mr Rumsfeld has already put in his papers.

We need to develop a strategy that does not leave Iraq in chaos simultaneaously protecting our long term interests in the region, he further added.

He was also not averse to the idea of some kind of contact with Iraq's neighbors - Syria and Iran.

''I think in the long run, we are going to have to acknowledge the influence of Iraq's neighbors and the potential to make the situation either better or worse in Iraq, he said.

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