BBC NEWS | Americas | US defence chief warns over Iraq

BBC NEWS | Americas | US defence chief warns over Iraq: "New US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned that failure in Iraq would be a 'calamity' that would haunt the United States for many years.

Mr Gates spoke after taking his oath of office from Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mr Gates, who replaces Donald Rumsfeld, said Iraq was his top priority. He also vowed not to let Afghanistan become 'a sanctuary for extremists' again.

He said he intended to go to Iraq soon to hear the 'unvarnished' views of US commanders on how to improve matters.

'All of us want to find a way to bring America's sons and daughters home again,' Mr Gates said.

'But as the president has made clear, we simply cannot afford to fail in the Middle East.

'Failure in Iraq at this juncture would be a calamity that would haunt our nation, impair our credibility, and endanger Americans for decades to come.'" Read complete post here.