Imagine US Defense Secretary Gates availability for President (08)
And then examine the diplomatic way at which he engages all parties concerned... Often the inobvious, becomes the most obvious...
(l) U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates visited Denmark on his way to the NATO-summit in Bucharest; spoke with Danish Minister of Defense, Søren Gade. Gates received confirmation, of the importance of holding strong in Afghanistan.
(r) Compassion for troops; & understanding of commitment as Nation.
UPDATE: Leaving the alliance lots of room for decision, might very well have forged success of Russian signature; needed by NATO troops (Afghanistan.)
Signed by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and the NATO Secretary-General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer:
"In the framework of practical co-operation I think we saw an interesting example in the sense that Russia and NATO have embarked upon common joint efforts to help Afghanistan.The current candidates are giving the Media tens of billions of dollars to portray them in a convincing light... And without spending a single dime to run.... Secretary Gates could win by a landslide.
Early this morning, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and I signed a transit agreement in support of the ISEF mission...That means that non-lethal and military goods for ISEF can be transported through Russian territory," Scheffer said. More.
