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Vilnius: A Nato rift over Afghanistan deepened on Thursday after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised concerns that some allies were not prepared to "fight and die" in the battle against Taliban insurgents.
His comments came ahead of a NATO meeting in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius where Germany, France and other European allies face a concerted US -led call to send troops to the violent south of the country.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer sought to keep a lid on tensions after Gates told US lawmakers on Wednesday he feared "a two-tiered alliance in which you have some allies willing to fight and die ... and others who are not".
However, underlining the growing sense of rift within the alliance, Gates received strong backing from other countries with troops in Afghanistan who have for months unsuccessfully pleaded with allies to take a share in the combat.
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