WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this week he would seriously consider an increase in troops for Afghanistan.
Gates was in Afghanistan Wednesday meeting with commanders on a five-day, seven-country trip, his second overseas trip since he took the helm at the Pentagon a month ago.
"I think it's very important that we not let the success here in Afghanistan slip away from us and that we keep the initiative. There's no reason to sit back and let the Taliban regroup and try and threaten the progress that's been made here," Gates told reporters.
He received briefings from NATO commanders in Afghanistan about the expected upswing in violence in the southern and central parts of the country and they laid out for him what they could accomplish with different force levels.
"It clearly has to be reviewed in Washington in terms of the availability of forces, by Joint Forces Command and others, as well as the joint chiefs," Gates said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace admitted additional troops for Afghanistan -- on top of the 21,500 now slated to go to Iraq -- would strain the U.S. force.
"The question is, what impact will that have? And you could very well see a situation where you're having success, like we are here in Afghanistan. You want to ensure that success," Pace said. "And for a short-term plus-up, you can have a success that will make it so you have to have less stress on the force for a longer period of time."
Gates said he would raise the issue of additional troops in meetings in two weeks with the 11 NATO nations participating in the war. They have promised thousands more troops but have yet to deliver them.
"Clearly there is a need for them to fulfill these commitments, and I'll be asking them to do that," he said.
