Robert Gates, who served as a Secretary of Defense for both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said on Sunday that direct U.S. military intervention in Syria would be an unpredictable and messy mistake.
Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Gates comments were in sharp contrast to the growing number of voices in Washington who are calling for the use of force in helping rebels overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that now exceeds two years.
"We overestimate our ability to determine outcomes," Gates said. "Caution, particularly in terms of arming these groups and in terms of U.S. military involvement, is in order. Anybody who says, 'It's going to be clean. It's going to be neat. You can establish safe zones, and it'll be just swell,' well, most wars aren't that way."
President Obama is still weighing option regarding Syria.
Gates also warned of direct action against Iran, which continues to strive for nuclear weapons.
"If you do hit them, then I think the consequences of their retaliation could spin out of control," Gates said.
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