Gates Visit to Ramallah Marks First for U.S. Defense Secretary

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates today became the first Pentagon chief to visit the West Bank city of Ramallah, home of the Palestinian Authority leadership, as he advanced his argument for “bold action” toward peace.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad welcomed Gates to his offices with an honor guard. In brief remarks before their meeting, Gates said he was looking forward to “talking about, obviously, the political developments around the region, but also the prospects for a two-state solution.”