Gates Tells Lawmakers Iraq War Is Hurting Afghanistan Mission

By Hans Nichols

Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told a group of U.S. House Democratic lawmakers that the multinational mission in Afghanistan is suffering from a lack of resources, citing the war in Iraq and the reluctance of U.S. allies to contribute more troops, participants at the meeting said.

Gates also acknowledged the Pentagon has made mistakes in prosecuting both wars and pledged to work with Congress to remedy the errors, according to a half-dozen participants at a Sept. 27 breakfast in House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's office.

``He expressed his concerns about the issue of resources and that Afghanistan is under-resourced, both in terms of equipment and personnel,'' said Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. ``He wants to see more help from NATO.''

A senior House Democrat said Gates told the group the U.S. focus on Iraq was hurting the effort in Afghanistan. Gates said that while the multinational force has held the Taliban at bay, it hasn't defeated the insurgents, according to the lawmaker, who requested anonymity. Two additional Democrats also said Gates linked the U.S. commitment in Iraq to shortfalls in Afghanistan.

Some lawmakers at the breakfast said his comments suggested he may be a potential ally in future showdowns with the White House. His assessment may reinforce the criticism leveled by Democratic presidential candidates such as Senator Hillary Clinton that the Iraq war is distracting the U.S. military from achieving victory in Afghanistan.

`Candid Conversation'

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell wouldn't comment on a ``private meeting between the secretary and lawmakers,'' citing the need for participants to have a ``candid conversation without any outside influences.''

Morrell acknowledged the logistical difficulties in fighting the two wars. ``We have a finite number of resources,'' he said. ``We have chosen to use the vast majority of those resources to fight the war in Iraq.''

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the administration supports ``all of Gates's efforts on the Hill,'' while declining to comment on the meeting. Johndroe dismissed any notion the secretary's private comments are at odds with President George W. Bush's position that the U.S. military has what it needs to achieve its goals in both wars.

Supporting the President

``I know Secretary Gates fully supports the president,'' said Johndroe.

Hoyer, who said he invited the ``15 to 20'' Democrats at the secretary's request, drew a contrast between Gates, 64, who took over as Pentagon chief in December, and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, 75. ``He admits that mistakes were made, unlike his predecessor,'' said Hoyer.

Hoyer, 68, of Maryland, declined to provide details of Gates's remarks.

Some lawmakers were reluctant to discuss a private meeting with a Cabinet secretary, fearful that disclosure of their conversation would preclude further talks. Other participants praised Gates, with Representative Ellen Tauscher of California saying his remarks ran counter to the ``toxic group-think'' in the Bush administration.

``It gave me hope that we finally have a secretary of defense who is willing to deal with the reality of the mistakes we've made,'' she said. ``He is a straight shooter. He is someone who is lending his personal integrity to repair a significant breach between Congress and the Pentagon.''

Not Like a Hearing

Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida said, ``It was not the kind of discussion you would get in a hearing room.''

None of the lawmakers said what, if anything, Gates suggested the U.S. should do about Iraq. Several expressed surprise that the secretary appeared to share their view that the war in Iraq has prevented American forces from routing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Morrell, who attended the meeting, said Gates is someone who ``does not sugarcoat things.''

``Does he wish we had more troops to put in Afghanistan? Yes,'' said Morrell.

In a press conference later on Sept. 27, Gates expressed concern about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's commitment.

``We have been very direct with a number of the NATO allies about the need to meet the commitments that they made at Riga,'' said Gates. Last November, 26 countries pledged to strengthen their commitments and called for broader international engagement at a conference in Riga, Latvia.

Fighting Insurgency

About 34,700 NATO soldiers are trying to crush the insurgency and stabilize Afghanistan, which has experienced more than 25 years of conflict. The U.S. had 15,154 troops under NATO command as of Sept. 10, according to the alliance's Web site. The U.S. has a separate force of about 10,000 that coordinates with NATO and conducts separate anti-terrorism operations.

The United Nations is pushing for peace talks between President Hamid Karzai's government and Taliban insurgents, and has offered to mediate.

There are other signs that Gates wants to be more active than Bush in alleviating the strains of two wars. On Sept. 27, he said he intends to accelerate by one year a $3 billion Bush plan to expand active-duty forces.

His breakfast with Democrats follows one he had with selected Republicans last month, ``where Afghanistan was discussed,'' said Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri. ``It is my sense that we do not have enough troops in Afghanistan and that our NATO allies can do more to help.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Hans Nichols in Washington at hnichols2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 1, 2007 00:12 EDT

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