KANDAHAR, Dec 11: Warning that Afghanistan will be a ‘long fight,’ US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday he hoped to send three more US combat brigades to the country by late spring.

“I do believe there will be a requirement for a sustained commitment here for a protracted period of time. How many years that is, and how many troops that is, nobody knows at this point,” he said during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan.

Gates made the remarks after meeting the commander of US and Nato forces and Dutch and British commanders of international forces fighting in the south of the country.

Gen David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, told reporters separately it would take three to four years to build up Afghan security forces sufficiently to reach a ‘tipping point’ leading to less reliance on some 70,000 foreign troops.

“Until we get to this tipping point where there is sufficient security capabilities in Afghanistan, Afghan-led, there will probably continue to be a degree of insurgent violence. Absolutely,” he said.

McKiernan has asked for more than 20,000 extra US troops to counter rising violence in the east and south, which would push US force levels in Afghanistan past 50,000 troops.

The commander’s request includes four combat brigades, an aviation brigade and other support troops.

Gates said he agreed with McKiernan that “this is a long fight and I think we are in it until we are successful along with the Afghan people.”

The Pentagon has already scheduled the deployment of a combat brigade in January that originally had been slated to go to Iraq.

“Beyond January, we are hopeful we will be able to send an additional two brigade combat teams by late spring,” Gates said.

On the flight here from Washington, however, Gates, suggested that the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama should be careful in undertaking a build-up of foreign troops in a country that has often been hostile to outsiders.

“The Soviets couldn’t win in Afghanistan with 120,000 troops and they clearly didn’t care about civilian casualties. So I think we have to think about the longer term in this,” he said.—AFP