Gates says U.S. isn't winning Iraq war

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Defense Secretary-designate Robert M. Gates yesterday said the U.S. is not winning in Iraq, but he declined to endorse any one of scores of new options floating in Washington for ending the stalemate and the American troop commitment.

Mr. Gates' Iraq assessment before the Senate Armed Services Committee, which later gave its unanimous approval to his nomination, came in response to a question from Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, who asked, "Do you believe that we are currently winning in Iraq?"

"No, sir," answered the man who is likely to become the president's chief military adviser on overhauling Iraq strategy. Mr. Gates later testified that he agreed with Gen. Peter Pace, Joint Chiefs chairman, who has said the U.S. is neither winning nor losing at this point.

The response seemed to put the nominee at odds with the commander in chief.

President Bush declared: "Absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq during an October press conference. He added, however, that he was not satisfied with overall developments, including a big spike in sectarian violence in Baghdad.

Mr. Gates said of the president, "I also believe that he understands that there needs to be a change in our approach in Iraq, that what we are doing now is not working satisfactorily."

The committee later, as expected, voted unanimously to approve the Gates nomination. The full Senate will take up the matter this week.

The question dominating Washington, as the White House weighs a shift in Iraq strategy, is whether to increase, decrease or rearrange the 135,000 troops on the ground. Mr. Gates said he does not know enough today to make a recommendation to Mr. Bush.

If confirmed, he said, he plans to first travel to Iraq to meet commanders and receive their assessments. The timeline suggests that any comprehensive change in policy will not come for weeks.

Mr. Gates did signal that he does not favor an immediate pullout, as favored by Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat.