Gates upbeat on legacy in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he hopes he would leave behind a positive legacy on Afghan intervention.

Gates said earlier this year he would step down from his position as defense secretary in 2011. Gates was a holdover from the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.

In an interview with ABC News, Gates said he hoped his tenure brought confidence about the U.S. role in Afghanistan.

"I would hope that it would be that people would recognize that we're making progress in Afghanistan -- that this is worth doing and that the sacrifices our young men and women are making is, in fact, producing success," he was quoted as saying.

His optimism comes as European lawmakers said it was time to recognize that military intervention wasn't achieving the right objectives in Afghanistan after nine years at war.

"The EU strategy for Afghanistan needs a radical rethink," Parliament said in a statement.

Washington officials said Gates and his defense policy team were trying to convince Afghans that the United States wouldn't abandon them next summer and to warn Taliban leaders that aggressive military operations against them still would be conducted.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he would like to take control over security operations in the country in 2014.