Washington  - The United States could deploy two more brigades to Afghanistan in the spring and a third one by the end of summer, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.

Gates testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee as President Barack Obama begins reviewing plans to shift the US focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, which he sees as the central front in the war on terrorism.

"There is little doubt that our greatest military challenge right now is Afghanistan," Gates said.

Washington, Dec 23: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who has been named to the same Cabinet post by the incoming President-elect Barack Obama's Administration, has asked experienced members of the Bush war team to stick around to smooth the transition process in the Pentagon.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has asked most Bush Administration political appointees except those targeted for dismissal to stay on in the Pentagon until replaced by the Obama Administration in the coming months, The Washington Times reported.

Kandahar (Afghanistan), Dec. 12: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that Canadian troops should continue fighting the war in Afghanistan after their mission''s scheduled end in 2011.

Speaking with front-line commanders and the press, Gates was quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying: "Everybody would agree that holding your own isn''t good enough. The countries that have partnered with the United States and Afghanistan here in RC-South have made an extraordinary commitment."

Chicago, Dec. 3: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has revealed that he has an "open-ended" agreement to remain at the Pentagon incoming President Barack Obama.

Gates said he would not be a "caretaker secretary" and scotched media reports of him being given a time frame of just a year to serve under Obama.

"With the country fighting two wars, and our men and women in uniform at risk, if the president asked me to help, there''s no way I can say no," Gates said.

Washington - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Tuesday of "pretty dramatic" consequences is a proposed agreement on the status of US forces in Iraq is not approved by Iraqi lawmakers before the end of the year.

He made the comment in an exclusive interview with three news outlets including the Bloomberg news agency at the Pentagon defence headquarters outside Washington.

Washington - US troops will be protected under a new agreement with Iraq on the future US presence in the country, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.

Gates said members of Congress had reacted "positively" to the Iraq forces deal, which reached tentative agreement between US and Iraqi negotiators on Wednesday but still has to be approved by the legislatures of both countries.