WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he thinks it is "fairly remote" that conditions in Iraq will change enough to alter significantly President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw U.S. troops.
Gates says Obama has noted that he always retains the authority to change a plan if it's in the national security interests of the United States.
But Gates says he doesn't think he or others involved in the strategy believe a change will prove necessary. He characterized the likelihood of significant adjustments to the plan as "fairly remote."
Appearing on "Meet the Press" on NBC, Gates described the plan to remove the bulk of U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010 as a product of dialogue involving Obama, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders.
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