Gates supports troop drawdown broadly

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he agrees with President-elect Barack Obama's "responsible drawdown" of U.S. troops in Iraq.

While supporting the Obama's withdrawal plan in broad terms, Gates stopped short during a news conference Tuesday of endorsing Obama's campaign pledge of withdrawing all troops within 16 months, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Until recently, Gates had argued against timetables, but the White House dropped its opposition to a schedule to reach an agreement with Iraq on U.S. troop presence in the country.

"So that bridge has been crossed," Gates said. "And so the question is: How do we do this in a responsible way?"

The security agreement requires U.S. combat troops to leave Iraqi cities and towns by June 30 and to withdraw completely by the end of 2011. Obama wants combat troops out within 16 months, but indicated he would take security considerations and advice from commanders into account.

Gates restated his long-held desire to close the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a position Obama supports.

The defense secretary also supports sending more troops to Afghanistan -- also supported by Obama -- saying one of his priorities in the Obama administration would be to speed up growing the Afghan Army.

"It's very important for us to do everything we can to make sure that the Afghans understand this is their fight and they have to be out front in this fight," he said.