Gates Says US Troop Level in Afghanistan Will Rise
352 views · Published 28 January 2009 · 3:03 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Voice of America · 2009 · News & Politics
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says Afghanistan is the top military priority for the Obama administration, requiring an increase in U.S. troop levels this year and a stronger commitment by allied countries. But Secretary Gates also told a Senate committee Tuesday he would be "deeply skeptical" of any proposal to expand the U.S. troop presence beyond the number already requested by the commander, which could nearly double the total to about 60,000. VOA's Al Pessin reports on Gates's testimony in the Senate and House of Representatives.
