WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. forces will remain in Iraq and Afghanistan for years to come, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.
Gates, speaking at the National Defense University in Washington, said that while it is unlikely the United States would launch another war to force a regime change "anytime soon," he said U.S. forces will likely need to stay in both countries to avoid "a disastrous blow to our credibility, both among our friends and allies and among potential adversaries," CNN reported.