Asia-Pacific
Gates to stay at Pentagon this year
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-08 10:29
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WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's most prominent holdover from the Bush administration - Defense Secretary Robert Gates - is staying on for at least another year.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told The Associated Press late Thursday that Gates and Obama agreed last month that Gates would stay on as Pentagon chief. The commitment is open-ended, but would be for at least the rest of 2010.
Obama asked Gates to stay on shortly after Obama won the 2008 presidential election. The move was meant to maintain stability in a time of two wars, and made good on an Obama promise to include Republicans among his close advisers.
Gates has said he considers himself a Republican.
His tenure in the Obama administration was never spelled out.
