Gates Voices ‘Real Concern’ Over Afghanistan
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday he has “real concern” about a sharp rise in attacks in eastern Afghanistan, and he blamed the spike on Pakistan’s failure to put pressure on insurgents there.
Mr. Gates said he welcomed recent vows by Pakistani officials to prevent militants from launching attacks across the border into Afghanistan. And he said he hopes the comments indicate a willingness by Pakistan to assert more pressure on those tribal areas.
“It actually was not bad until a few months ago,” he said, when the Pakistani government began negotiating peace or cease-fire deals with a variety of militant groups in areas bordering Afghanistan.
“The pressure was taken off these people,” as a result of such deals, he added. And that has meant fighters are “now more free to cross the border and create problems for us,” Mr. Gates said.
Mr. Gates was asked at a Pentagon news conference what he thought of a report by a senior American general in Afghanistan on Tuesday that insurgent attacks in the east have increased by 40% this year.
“It is a matter of concern — real concern,” Mr. Gates replied. “It’s an issue that clearly we have to pursue with the Pakistani government.”
On Wednesday, the prime minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, met with his top military and intelligence officials, and later released a statement saying the government would not allow the tribal areas to descend into chaos. Reserving the right to use military force, he said that, “Pakistan will not allow its territory to be used against other countries, especially Afghanistan.”
Mr. Gates said he believes now that the Pakistanis realize that the militant attacks along the border represent a problem for their own country, as well as Afghanistan.