Soviet foreign ministers would come in to see the president all the time, routinely. Jimmy Carter stopped that after the invasion of Afghanistan. Ronald Reagan resumed it in 1984, I think. And so the fact of a meeting like that I think is not that big a deal.

Robert M. Gates

If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.

Robert M. Gates

taught-us iraq war

Congress is best viewed from a distance—the farther the better—because up close, it is truly ugly. I saw most of Congress as uncivil, incompetent at fulfilling their basic constitutional responsibilities (such as timely appropriations), micromanagerial, parochial, hypocritical, egotistical, thin-skinned and prone to put self (and re-election) before country.

Robert M. Gates

distance responsibility country

What I know concerns me. What I don't know concerns me even more. What people aren't telling me worries me the most.

Robert M. Gates

worry life people

I think in the context of senior government positions, I think an anecdote of what I told President-Elect Barack Obama when we had our first meeting. And I said, "You don't know me. Can you trust me? Why do you think you can trust me?" and so on. But at the end, I said, "You can count on me to be loyal to you. I will not leak. I will keep my disagreements with you private. And if I cannot be loyal, I'll leave." Loyalty means doing what you think is in the best interest of that person as well as the country.

Robert M. Gates

senior loyalty country

In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should 'have his head examined,' as General MacArthur so delicately put it.

Robert M. Gates

army land should-have

No policy has proved more successful in making friends for the United States, during the cold war and since, than educating students from abroad at our colleges and universities.

Robert M. Gates

successful college war

Often, loyalty means telling people things they don't want to hear. It's not being sycophantic, it's not telling them how wonderful they are every day. It's being willing to tell them the days they're not wonderful.

Robert M. Gates

loyalty mean people

A wild and crazy weekend involves sitting on the front porch, smoking a cigar, reading a book.

Robert M. Gates

crazy reading book

It has become clear that America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long - relative to what we spend on the military, and more important, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world.

Robert M. Gates

military responsibility america

One of my favorite little sayings is, 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

Robert M. Gates

my-favorite criticism littles

Well, I've ruffled a few feathers at all the institutions I've led. But I think that's part of leadership.

Robert M. Gates

institutions wells thinking

I'm a big advocate of drones.

Robert M. Gates

drones bigs

I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.

Robert M. Gates

term choices war

I have tried to maintain civil relationships with everyone I meet - and, even if I violently disagree with them, try to be respectful.

Robert M. Gates

respectful ifs trying

Future U.S. political leaders – those for whom the Cold War was not the formative experience that it was for me – may not consider the return on America’s investment in NATO worth the cost.

Robert M. Gates

leader war america

Most governments lie to each other. That's the way business gets done.

Robert M. Gates

government-lies done lying

There will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy.

Robert M. Gates

strategy boots military

I think Donald Trump has gotten China's attention to a degree that his predecessors have not that this is a very serious matter for the United States.

Robert M. Gates

serious attention thinking

In government, I'm a strong believer in the need for reform of government agencies and departments. They - they have gotten fat and sloppy, and they're not user friendly. They are inefficient. They cost too much.

Robert M. Gates

believer strong friendly

If possible, to be in a position to announce who is going to step in as the interim immediately. And if possible, to announce who you're going to nominate to replace that person. For that to be somebody of impeccable integrity and reputation disarms a lot of the worst criticism that it's some kind of a power play. It's a professional approach to replacing a senior official, which is always going to get a lot of attention.

Robert M. Gates

senior criticism integrity