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Robert Gates, who was secretary of defense under two presidents, detailed the global threats to the U.S., while imploring the crowd of more than 750 people at the March 2 to elect real leaders willing to defend our interests and engage with the rest of the world. In the Grand Ballroom of Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, Gates said during tough economic times and in the wake of major conflicts, the one thing the U.S. cannot do is repeat the mistakes of the past. “(That was) a pattern repeated in the decade prior to 9/11,” Gates said. “The prospect of the United States going down that path again sends chills through much of the free and civilized world.

“Whether the United States sustains our global, economic, political, cultural and military preeminence depends not on the successes or failures of others, on what other countries do, but on what we choose to do on the decisions we make and on the courage and determination and unity that we demonstrate.”

For 26 years, Gates served in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council before retiring as CIA director nearly 20 years ago. He said before leaving Washington, a series of events had set the stage for years of remarkable economic growth in the U.S.

“What we did not realize is that the seeds of future trouble were already growing,” he said. “There were early stirrings of future great power rivalry and friction.”

One such source of trouble was the violent, extremist group al-Qaida, which was establishing a presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “(al-Qaida) would launch its first attack on the World Trade Center in February 1993, just a few weeks after I retired,” Gates said.

Now, a decade after 9/11, Gates says eliminating all risk from terrorism is as impossible as eliminating all crime. “Our defense, intelligence and various security and law enforcement agencies can dramatically reduce the risk and the magnitude of the threat, which I believe we have done over the past 10 years,” he said. “However, to expect that government will be able to stop any and all kinds of future terrorist attacks is completely unrealistic, especially in a free and open country of over 300 million people. We can and we must pursue vigorous measures to manage and minimize this risk, as do other countries that have dealt with terrorism for decades, but without sacrificing our rights, our privacy and our individual dignity.”

Gates didn’t shy away from expressing his opinion about some of the most volatile regions in the world:

Afghanistan: “A failure in Afghanistan would mean a Taliban takeover
of much if not most of the country and likely a renewed civil war. Taliban-ruled areas could and probably would, in short order, once again become a sanctuary for al-Qaida and a staging area for resurgent militant groups on the offensive in Pakistan and beyond.”

Pakistan: “As much as it pains us to say it and to do it, we need the Pakistanis and have no other choice but to work with them. … The key going forward is to convince the Pakistanis that over time the Islamic militancy within their own borders, a movement symbiotic to the Taliban in Afghanistan, represents as much an existential threat to them as their old rival, India.”

Iraq: “Iraq’s future is truly up to the Iraqis. As messy as Iraq’s politics are though, ironically it was to date the only real Arab democracy. We can only hope that after all of our and their sacrifices they can keep it.  … Real freedom, a freedom that endures, is not assured simply by holding one free election. It is the result of building democratic institutions, enforcing the rule of law, and creating civil society. No Arab state has these basic building blocks.”

Iran: “The Iranian outburst over the Strait of Hormuz suggested the most recent set of sanctions imposed by the United Nations with American support and leadership are starting to bite. And that’s our best chance going forward, to ratchet up the economic pressure and diplomatic isolation to the point where the Iranian leadership concludes that it actually hurts Iran’s security and the security of the regime itself to pursuit nuclear weapons. There are some who say we should just take out the Iranian nuclear site with military strikes, whether it were just that simple. The Iranians may be fanatics, but they’re not stupid.”

The key to a prosperous U.S. future, according to Gates, is to fix America’s financial situation, sustain strong institutions of national defense and foreign policy and reclaim our confidence and credibility in the global stage.

“(We need our) political class to show leadership and make decisions that may be unpopular in the short run, but will strengthen the country for the long haul,” he said. “So far there appears to be little evidence that this has taken place. Indeed as a result of several polarizing trends in American politics and culture, we have lost the ability to execute even the most basic  functions of government, much less solve the most difficult and divisive problems facing the country.”

Gates cited several factors contributing to the U.S. fall: a need for redistricting, a lack of a consistent strategy from many presidents and congresses, and changes in the role of news media. “But much of the dysfunction comes down to an unwillingness to put aside short-term partisan gain and ideological purity for the long-term benefit of our country, above all, an unwillingness to compromise,” he said.

Gates sprinkled his talk with several humorous stories about life in Washington, and he praised ���ϰٿ� for its commitment to humanitarianism.

“As president of the Eagle Scout Association for nearly 10 years, I was grabbed while reading up about ���ϰٿ� to see the special emphasis it places on community and service, a much-needed antidote to the careerism and self centeredness that inflict too many campuses these days,” Gates said.

At the end of Gates’ speech, President Gayle D. Beebe directed seven members of the ���ϰٿ� Choir to bring Gerd Jordano, chair of the President’s Breakfast Steering Committee, seven dozen roses. The Montecito resident, who has overseen the annual breakfast since it began seven years ago, announced that she had decided to step down as head of the committee.