US Senate confirms Gates as next Defence Secretary

Washington, Dec 7: The US Senate has confirmed by a 92-2 vote the appointment of Mr Robert Gates as the next Secretary of Defence.

He succeeds Mr Donald Rumsfeld who came under heavy criticism for his handling of the Iraq war and resigned following the victory of Democrats in the mid-term polls held last month.

Mr Gates, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), will take oath of his new office later this month. His nomination was unanimously approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

Senator John Warner of Virginia, the outgoing Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Mr Gates would provide President Bush with a ''fresh and honest perspective'' about the Iraq war and other pressing concerns.

The Democrats called on Mr Gates and President Bush to implement the recommendations of the bilateral Iraq Study Group which, among other things, calls for withdrawal of the US troops from Iraq by early 2008.

The group report was formally made public yesterday.

Members of the Iraq Study Group will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee today to discuss their recommendations.

UNI