Gates says US presence in Iraq would not be reassuring for Iranian regime

NCRI – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that keeping a modest military presence in Iraq would be worrisome for the Iranian regime.

According to AFP, Gates said keeping a modest US military presence in Iraq would represent a “worthy” investment.

Keeping a US force in Iraq would send “a powerful signal to the region that we’re not leaving,” he said.

“I think it would be reassuring to the Gulf states, I think it would not be reassuring to Iran, and that’s a good thing,” Gates added in a speech at a conference at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.