While some of America’s NATO allies appreciate the candor of Defense Secretary Robert Gates about the mission in Afghanistan, they don’t necessarily agree with his conclusions. According to this editorial in the NRC Handelsblad of The Netherlands, while the Americans want Europeans to do more of the life-and-death fighting, the Dutch at least are more interested in preventing further ‘mission creep.’
“Gates read the riot act to his European allies … Even if Gates’ comments are counterproductive and invite jokes concerning Vietnam and other less-successful U.S. anti-guerilla operations, his observations are essentially true.”
EDITORIAL Translated by Jan de Nijs January 17, 2008
The Netherlands – NRC Handlesblad – Original Article (Dutch)It’s not often that the Dutch Government summons the American Ambassador. That achievement goes to Defense Minister Van Middelkoop (of the conservative Christian Union Party). The reason? An interview with the American Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, in the Los Angeles Times . In the interview, Gates read the riot act to his European allies.
NATO troops in Southern Afghanistan are unable to effectively combat the Taliban. According to him, the Americans in eastern Afghanistan are much more effective. Gates said: “Most of the European forces, NATO forces, are not trained in counterinsurgency; they were trained for the Fulda Gap ,” referring to the German region where NATO once expected a Red Army invasion of Western Europe.
The Pentagon immediately sought to sooth Van Middelkoop. Gates, it was said, had only meant that NATO as a whole is not well-equipped to deal with a guerilla war. That has calmed tempers.
But this watered-down interpretation of Gates’ words isn’t credible. It’s abundantly clear that the Secretary has put into words thoughts that prevail in the Pentagon. Even if Gates’ comments are counterproductive and invite jokes concerning Vietnam and other less-successful U.S. anti-guerilla operations, his observations are essentially true. Ever since the Fulda Gap lost its relevance, it has been the United States that in Kuwait, Yugoslavia and elsewhere has had to do the heavy lifting. They also carry they carry the heaviest load in Afghanistan, both financially and in terms of personnel. On top of that, the Americans display a steeper learning curve.
But the quick watering down of Gates’ comments by the Pentagon is particularly unfortunate for another reason. The judgments of Gates prove again that the American government considers the mission in Afghanistan one of pure counterinsurgency. For Washington, there’s only a single mission: Operation Enduring Freedom.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US