Rove: U.S. allies failed to step up

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Karl Rove, top political adviser to former President George W. Bush, blamed U.S. allies Thursday for the shortage of military resources in Afghanistan.

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," Rove said the Bush administration provided "appropriate" resources for the effort. He said he believes if U.S. generals had asked for more troops, they would have been provided.

"We felt, in the previous administration, that our coalition partners were not meeting their responsibilities," Rove said.

A senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to Bush, Rove said he would advise Obama, if he was part of the new administration, to listen carefully to his military leaders in Afghanistan and "ask them tough questions, ask them to explain their positions."

Rove became a commentator for Fox News after leaving the White House. He has been more upfront than many Bush administration veterans about defending his former boss and criticizing Obama.