Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the Administration’s new plan for Iraq on the road, holding discussions about both Iraq and Afghanistan with British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, in London on Jan. 14. Gates then traveled to Belgium on Jan. 15 to meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to talk primarily about Afghanistan. Gates called success for the alliance’s Afghan mission a “top priority.” He also planned to visit Afghanistan.
In a rare letter to the entire force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach is telling Airmen to stay ready to support Operation Epic Fury, the massive U.S. operation against Iran.