Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Fox News:

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his top commander in Afghanistan pressed NATO ministers Friday to send more troops and civilian aid to the war, as some allies appeared to be hedging their commitment until the Obama administration determines its strategy.

Gates said Friday he was “heartened” by allies’ commitment to the 8-year-old war, even as the Obama administration mulls whether to order tens of thousands more U.S. troops to the fight, as recommended by the top U.S. and NATO commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Dutch Defense Minister Eimert Van Middelkoop said his country, with 2,160 troops in Afghanistan, is awaiting the final election results “because the legitimacy of the Afghan government is key,” as well as a decision by the Obama administration.

“I think most countries are waiting for the American decisions,” van Middelkoop said at a meeting in Bratislava of the defense ministers of the 28 NATO countries.

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, was briefing NATO ministers — including U.S. Defense Minister Robert Gates — on his view of the war in Afghanistan at the meeting. NATO countries have committed an estimated 68,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Danish Defense Minister Soeren Gade said allies won’t increase troop levels until they’re assured the new government in Kabul is committed to the NATO goals.

“I think whoever is going to send more troops to Afghanistan will put up some conditions,” said Gade, whose country has 690 soldiers in Afghanistan.

“They need to see the new Afghan president and say: ‘If we send more troops to your country, you have to deal with this, this and this.’ We have to make sure the new government in Afghanistan are committed to their job before we send any more troops to Afghanistan.”

Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung of Germany said he also doesn’t expect his country to increase its troop numbers in Afghanistan when the soldiers’ mandate from the German parliament comes up for renewal in December. The existing mandate allows the deployment of a maximum 4,500 soldiers, and Germany currently has just over 4,200 troops in Afghanistan.

NATO’s apparent reluctance to commit more troops before Obama defines the U.S. strategy – or, the results of the runoff election – came on the heels of Australia’s decision not to keep troops in Afghanistan “a day longer than is necessary.”

Defense Minister John Faulkner, testifying Wednesday before a government committee before flying to Slovakia for the NATO summit, said he had no immediate plans to draw down Australia’s troop strength there. Australia has about 1,550 troops in Afghanistan — the largest contribution of any country outside NATO.

But, Faulkner said Australian troops were focused on training an Afghan National Army brigade in Uruzgan province “so they can take the responsibility for security in the province,” Faulkner said. “That objective, that focus, won’t change.”

“I don’t want to see Australian troops in Afghanistan a day longer than is necessary,” Faulkner said.

He did not indicate whether he was considering a recommendation by McChrystal that NATO allies contribute thousands of troops to the Afghan effort.

Gates said he will prod NATO for more economic and security aid to Afghanistan while trying to sidestep the simmering international debate over sending more troops to the fight.