got geoint?

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates vocalized his ongoing concern about Europe’s lacking contributions to NATO, and said that European public and political opposition to the military was directly affecting operations in Afghanistan. Here’s what he said on Tuesday at the National Defense University: “The demilitarization of Europe — where large swaths of the general public and political class are averse to military force and the risks that go with it — has gone from a blessing in the 20th century to an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace in the 21st.” Mr. Gates’s comments came just after the dispute over keeping Dutch troops in Afghanistan. Allied support has never been more critical in helping our effort in Afghanistan, and hopefully his blunt comments will have a positive impact – unlike the “Old Europe” comment from his predecessor. What do you all think?

Tags: Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Dutch Support, GEOINT, NATO, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, US Defense, USGIF, war in Afghanistan