Gates omits Israel from 'close' US allies

[eju]

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=64 ... id=3510203

Gates omits Israel from 'close' US allies
Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:42:02


US Defense Secretary Robert Gates
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed an official defense strategy document which fails to mention Israel in a list of close allies.

"Our closest allies - the UK, Australia, and Canada. Other long-standing alliances - NATO, Japan and South Korea foremost among them. We will work to expand and strengthen other relationships, including with India," says the yet unpublished US National Defense Strategy for 2008 which appears on InsideDefense.com.

The soon-to-be-published document is set to replace an earlier version released by Donald Rumsfeld in 2005, Haaretz reported on Monday.

Israel appears in numerous official US defense documents as an important US ally but is notably missing from this latest paper which conveys the Defense Secretary's directives to the US armed forces.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is seen as a pragmatist within the Bush administration. He replaced Donald Rumsfeld in 2006.