Gates: U.S. Faces Difficult Mission in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates says any request for additional U.S. troops or funds for the war in Afghanistan would only come after officials study a new assessment of the conditions there by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Gates said he doesn't believe "the war is slipping through the administration's fingers," and said that public suspicions about the mission are understandable given eight years of war.

Gates said he believes "it's important for us to be able to show over the months to come" that President Barack Obama's new strategy for both Afghanistan and Pakistan is succeeding. Obama had said the goal is to defeat and dismantle the al-Qaida terrorist network and its allies.