NATO Urges US to Make Progress Faster

After nine years and a decline in public support, US military commanders are under mounting political pressure to show that progress is being made in Afghanistan.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has said that it takes time and that these things can't be rushed and that after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the war in Afghanistan had been neglected. He claimed that "this endeavour began in full, and reasonably resourced only a few months ago."

General Stanley McChrystal in particular has been under pressure. He has stated that certain "projects" in Afghanistan such as Kandahar will move at a slower pace than initially planned.

NATO has stated that after nine years, better "results" should be evident.