So Gates apologized:
This deployment of Marines does not reflect dissatisfaction about the military performance in Afghanistan of allied forces from other nations. I mention this because there have been several recent media reports of discontent in the United States and among other NATO members about operations in Afghanistan. This does not reflect reality or, I believe, the views of our government. As I said before the House Armed Services Committee last month, allied forces from the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark and other nations have stepped up to the plate and are playing a significant and powerful role in Afghanistan. They have rolled back the Taliban from previous strongholds in the south. They are taking the fight to the enemy in some of the most grueling conditions imaginable.
It is significant that Gates named only the countries who actually fight in Afghanistan with us rather than just being war tourists watching the fight. I'm going to assume Denmark is named because they fight, though I hadn't seen them mentioned before. Or perhaps he tossed in one non-fighting country. I'll watch for information about this. Obviously, not all NATO troops are avoiding combat. American troops are part of a NATO country, obviously. And it isn't that the NATO troops watching the war couldn't fight--their governments keep them out.
Of course, given the trouble that Rumsfeld got in for discussing "old Europe" and their lack of contribution to the war, I guess we can excuse Gates for not pointing a finger at the slackers. Granted, these NATO forces serve a useful function with what they do. And I remain firm in my view that we should be grateful for help willingly given whatever the level of help. If they don't want to fight, we're not going to make them.
But the truth is, not all our allies are sacrificing at our side for what is supposed to be a common enemy. They should have let Gates' initial comments just slide and taken the rebuke with a little humbleness given the truth of it.
