By Robert Burns
Associated Press
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

KIEV, Ukraine, Oct. 22 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates criticized European members of NATO on Monday for failing to provide the extra troops that their governments promised last year for security duties in Afghanistan.

"I am not satisfied that an alliance whose members have over 2 million soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen cannot find the modest additional resources that have been committed for Afghanistan," Gates said at a news conference after a meeting of a separate organization of Southeast European countries.

The main shortfall is in troops to serve as trainers for the Afghan National Army and the Afghan police.

Gates said he intended to pursue the matter at a NATO defense ministers meeting in the Netherlands this week.

During Monday's meeting here of the Southeast European defense ministers, a group created in 1996 mainly to promote stability in the Balkans, several countries "indicated that they intend to increase their commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq -- principally in Afghanistan," Gates told reporters.

He added that those countries did not want to be publicly identified yet because they have not finalized their plans.

Earlier, Slovak officials told Gates that they will send at least 47 more troops to Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan, where they will work with Dutch forces, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. That will increase its troop total in Afghanistan to 125 next year, he said.

Slovakia also will send eight doctors to work at a military hospital in Kabul, the Afghan capital, Morrell said.

In opening remarks at Monday's session, Gates urged members of the Southeast European Defense Ministerial to boost their contributions to security efforts in Afghanistan, warning that the group "risks eventual irrelevance" unless it does more to fight terrorism and increase European security cooperation.