Defense Secretary Robert Gates cautioned Britain and other NATO allies on Tuesday against cutting troop strength in response to their growing budget woes, urging them to try to find cost savings first in other areas.
The United States is worried austerity measures could prompt allies to scale back troop contributions in Afghanistan and beyond, putting the onus on U.S. forces to fill the void at a time when the U.S. defense budget is also under pressure.
"Clearly most countries are facing economic pressures now," Gates told reporters when asked about reports that Britain, Germany, and other NATO alliance members were considering the biggest defense cutbacks since the end of the Cold War.
"I would hope that our allies, before they consider force structure reductions and reductions more broadly in capabilities, will look overall at how they spend their money and ensure that they have taken a hard look at overhead and business practices," Gates said at a joint news conference with British Defense Secretary Liam Fox in London.
By: Brant
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