Gates appears to break from Bush playbook on Iraq
 Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates' message on Iraq has recently seemed to conflict with the White House line, writes the Los Angeles Times.
"During a recent trip to the Middle East, Gates told the Iraqi government that time was running out and praised Democratic efforts in the U.S. Congress to set a timetable for withdrawal, saying it would help prod the Iraqis. He reiterated that point during a meeting with reporters last week," report Peter Spiegel and Julian E. Barnes.
A spokesman for Gates says that the Defense Secretary shares the views on troop withdrawal held by the White House and General David Petraeus, who commands US troops in Iraq.
"But his warnings to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki are just the latest indications from Gates that he believes the window of opportunity for the administration to get Iraq right is closing sooner rather than later," say Spiegel and Barnes.
Gates' supposed fracture from the Bush plan for Iraq has some "surge" backers worried.
"I believe Gates is on a completely different page than President Bush and Gen. Petraeus," a former senior Defense official told the LA Times. "He wants to see some results by summer, and if he doesn't see those results, he seems willing to throw the towel in."
Excerpts follow:
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Gates' sharpest public difference with supporters of Bush's strategy has been over the question of how long the buildup should last before undergoing a thorough assessment.
Gates insisted for much of the year that the current Baghdad security plan be evaluated this summer — just two months after all five of the "surge" brigades are in place. And Gates occasionally scolded senior officers who have suggested otherwise.
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Gates' views worry military officials who support the troop increase. One senior military officer argued that rather than talking about time running out, Gates and the Pentagon ought to be trying to buy more time for the strategy.
"If we cannot practice a little strategic patience right now," said the officer, "we might as well pull out."
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