U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that NATO is in danger of becoming a two-tiered alliance - Je 10.02.2008 14:00 UTC

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that NATO is in danger of becoming a two-tiered alliance of "those who are willing to fight and those who are not". Speaking at a high-level security conference in Munich, Gates appealed to European nations to take a more active combat role in Afghanistan. Germany, which has 3,200 troops stationed mainly in the north of the country, says it has no intention of sending its soldiers to the volatile south. But German media reports suggest Berlin may consider expanding its engagement elsewhere in Afghanistan.