Robert M. Gates, the Pentagon chief, recently declared, "We're fighting two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the F-22 has not performed a single mission in either theater." Even by the low standard of Raptor criticisms, this one was strange. The F-22, as Gates knows, has not been around very long. Nor is it the only virgin weapon out there; in its wars with terrorists, the US has not employed ICBMs, attack submarines, or Patriot air defense batteries, either. Yet the Defense Secretary has not seen fit to mention that. Unfortunately, though, we cannot easily dismiss Gates' remark. He and Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England have drawn a line in the sand on the Raptor. (See "Washington Watch," p. 8.) And their actions suggest something deeper and more ominous than opposition to a fighter.
展开▼
机译：五角大楼负责人罗伯特·盖茨（Robert M. Gates）最近宣布：“我们正在伊拉克和阿富汗进行两次战争，而F-22在这两个战区都没有执行过一次任务。”即使是猛禽批评的标准很低，这一点也很奇怪。正如盖茨所知，F-22的存在时间不长。它也不是那里唯一的处女武器。在与恐怖分子的战争中，美国也没有雇用洲际弹道导弹，攻击潜艇或爱国者防空炮。然而，国防部长还不宜提及这一点。但是，不幸的是，我们不能轻易驳斥盖茨的言论。他和国防部副部长戈登·英格兰（Gordon England）在猛禽上的沙子上划了一条线。 （请参阅“华盛顿观察报”，第8页。）与反对战斗机的行为相比，他们的行为暗示着更深刻，更邪恶的东西。
展开▼
