NATO members faced a daunting list of problems Thursday at the start of a defense ministers' meeting, including a U.S. push for more soldiers in Afghanistan, Associated Press reported. Heading into the two-day gathering, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he had largely given up hope that NATO countries _ many with strong anti-war constituencies at home _ would be willing to commit more troops to Afghanistan. Instead, Gates said he would stress the need for help later this spring and summer to counter militants and improve security for planned elections there, something NATO officials have already said would require 10,000 reinforcements. He floated the idea of more nonmilitary expansion, such as training Afghan police and deterring opium growers. «I hope that it may be easier for our allies to do that than significant troop increases,» Gates said.
