Gates: NATO troop numbers show commitment

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The pledge of 7,000 more NATO troops in Afghanistan is a sign of the military alliance's commitment to the country, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

The commitment also came as a pleasant surprise, Gates told reporters Tuesday as he traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, to meet with U.S. troops and Afghan leaders.

"Frankly, my hope was that we could get 5,000, so a commitment for (7,000) was better than I expected," Gates said. "And from what I am hearing ... the commitments may go higher than that."

Gates' unannounced visit to Afghanistan comes a week after President Barack Obama said an additional 30,000 U.S. troops would be deployed to Afghanistan.

"Since spring, I have been surprised by the change of tone on the part of our allies," Gates said on the Defense Department Web site. "There has been a ... realization of the importance of being successful in Afghanistan, of the consequences to the alliance of not being successful, and just a greater sense of commitment to this thing."

The Pentagon chief also reaffirmed continued U.S. support to Pakistan in its fight against terrorism on its side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, considered a safe haven for terrorists.

"The key thing to remember about the relationship with Pakistan is, it's Pakistan's foot on the accelerator," he said. "And we are prepared to move ahead with that relationship and cooperation just as fast as they are prepared to accept it."