Christina Bellantoni

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has threatened to fire Pentagon employees who are leaking details of President Obama's deliberations on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Gates addressed the leaks today in a press briefing while flying to Wisconsin, according to an article in the Pentagon's own American Forces Press Service.

"I am appalled by the amount of leaking that has been going on," he said.

From the article:

Gates said he has little doubt that some of those leaks have come from within the Defense Department. "If I found out who" was involved, he said, "it would probably be a career ender." The official line from the White House and Pentagon is that Obama remains undecided on how many troops to send.

He also condemned leaks on the Ft. Hood shootings, saying: "Everybody out there with their own little piece of the action" doesn't understand how it fits into the big picture.

"Everybody out there ought to just shut up."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/defense-sec-gates-appall...