Gates: US Missile Defense Plans Still On

Poland's Defense Minister Aleksander Szczyglo, left, shares a word with U.S. Defense Secreatary Robert Gates during a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday June 14, 2007. NATO ministers are expected Thursday to consider how to integrate planned U.S. anti-missile bases into the alliance's defenses and seek clarification of Russia's suggested use of a radar base in Azerbaijan as part of the missile shield. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe) (Yves Logghe - AP)

And Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, in a Bloomberg report, warned that Russia will aim missiles at the sites in Poland and the Czech Republic if their installation goes ahead.

Gates declined to add to the discourse, saying that during the NATO meeting ministers said there was a "need to modulate the rhetoric and for us to deal on a businesslike basis with one another."

The NATO ministers also were due to meet their Afghan counterpart Friday. The defense ministers are seeking to increase training for the Afghan military and reduce the rising toll of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

Gates urged European allies to stick to commitments to contribute equipment and troops to the 36,000-strong NATO force in Afghanistan. He also complained about "shortfalls in key capabilities" that are affecting the Afghan fight, including delays in getting more transport aircraft and the low level of military spending by some allies.

There are about 26,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

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Associated Press Writer Paul Ames contributed to this report.

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