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 Afr…

- Robert M. Gates

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 o…

- Robert M. Gates

Congress is best viewed from a distance - the farther the better - because up close, it is truly ugly.

- Robert M. Gates

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

- Robert M. Gates

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 da…

- Robert M. Gates

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

- Robert M. Gates

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.…

- Robert M. Gates

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

- Robert M. Gates

It has become clear that America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too l…

- Robert M. Gates