Gates in Kabul: dark days ahead but grounds for hope
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on a visit to Afghanistan on Monday, cautioned against over-optimism, warning of “dark days” ahead despite grounds for hope on the battlefield.
Gates, on his first Afghan trip since President Barack Obama’s surge of 30,000 troops began arriving in the country last December, said NATO forces had made gains recently, including a push to take control of the Taliban stronghold of Marjah.