U.S. Air Force Capt. Bachelor, a KC-10 Extender aircraft pilot from the 908th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron, flies the refueling track during a flight over Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2008. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon, U.S. Air Force. (Released)Gates To Place More Troops In Afghanistan
-- Wall Street Journal
-- Wall Street Journal
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations have failed to provide enough resources to Afghanistan.
Mr. Gates, wrapping up an unannounced visit, said he hoped to deploy two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan by next summer, pushing the U.S. military presence here to a high of about 49,000 troops.
He told U.S. troops here that NATO members have resisted American entreaties for them to deploy more forces to Afghanistan, leaving the U.S. to "bear a disproportionate part of this burden."
"NATO is a military alliance -- it's not a talk shop," he said.
Mr. Gates also had harsh words for the U.N., arguing that the world body hadn't provided its special envoy for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, with "the resources -- both people and money -- that he needs to do the job."
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More News On Afghanistan
Gates Predicts 'Sustained' Afghan Mission -- Associated Press
Gates Pledges More Resources to Fight Protracted War in Afghanistan -- AFPS
Gates Seeks More Troops in Afghanistan by Spring -- New York Times
Gates Predicts 'Sustained' Afghan Mission -- Washington Post
Police: Militants destroy NATO trucks -- CNN
Attacks expose weakness of key Afghanistan supply route -- AFP
Taleban Tax: Allied Supply Convoys Pay Their Enemies For Safe Passage -- The Times
Some Convoys May Be Paying Off Taliban -- Military.com
U.S., NATO seek less dependence on supply routes -- Reuters
Aussie Special Forces Crush Taliban Leaders in Afghanistan -- The Australian
10 Green Berets to Receive Silver Star for Afghan Battle -- Washington Post
Top Russian official concerned at growing influence of Taliban -- Zeenews
CSTO chief warns of deteriorating situation in Afghanistan -- RIA Novosti
Taliban in 72 pct of Afghanistan, think-tank says -- Reuters
Afghanistan Not Iraq, But -- Michael O'Hanlon, Washington Times opinion
