It was an awkward moment when Defence Secretary Robert Gates was asked about the diplomatic cables at a joint press conference with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, with the author of some of the scathing memos -- US ambassador Karl Eikenberry -- sitting near the podium.

"The WikiLeaks leak, the revelations of all these documents is extraordinarily embarrassing for the United States," said Gates.

He repeated his view that despite the discomfort caused by the files disclosed by the WikiLeaks website, countries would "make decisions based on their interests".

Gates added that the United States was grateful for how allies and partners had reacted to the document dump by WikiLeaks.

"And I would say that America's best partners and friends, and I would include among them President Karzai, have responded in my view in an extraordinarily statemanslike way," Gates said.

"I'm deeply grateful and frankly I think the American government will not forget this kind of statesmanlike response."

Gates said he had been meeting with Karzai for four years and that "I don't think either of us would be embarrassed about a single thing that we've said to each other" if it were made public.

Later in the press conference, Karzai tried to ease the tense mood with a little humour.

As he was discussing the training of Afghan forces, Karzai referred to his talks with US commander General David Petraeus on the subject.

Then he turned to the American general, and asked mischievously, "Is that a secret or...?"

Laughter broke out, and Gates joked: "Not any more."

Karzai smiled and said they "shouldn't share things like that with WikiLeaks".

earlier related report
US war review to cite gains from surge: senior source
Kabul (AFP) Dec 8, 2010 - A White House review of war strategy in Afghanistan will likely credit a troop surge with bolstering security but warn that the insurgency is far from defeated, a senior defence official said.

The review, expected to be completed later this month, comes a year after President Barack Obama announced plans to deploy an additional 30,000 US troops in a bid to turn around the war.

The review will probably look at targets for the growth of Afghan security forces and lay out plans for the start next year of a gradual handover of security duties to the Kabul government, the official told reporters late Tuesday.

The assessment is expected to point to security gains in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand and around the capital Kabul, the official said.

The review "will note that there has been progress, that the additional forces have enabled the expansion of the security bubbles in Helmand and in Kandahar and around Kabul and then in some smaller areas in the east," he said.

"But that clearly there is a good deal more work that needs to be done."

NATO members at a summit last month in Lisbon endorsed plans for the beginning of a "transition" to Afghan forces across the country in 2011.

The White House assessment will back that plan and "there will be a line-up of certain events in 2011, that will include various recommendations on transition," the official said.

The review would include a "discussion about the future size of the Afghan national security forces", he added.

US officials and military leaders have said for months that the review was unlikely to produce a dramatic shift in the current strategy, which focuses on strengthening security in strategic areas and building up the Afghan police and army.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell, in Kabul as part of a visit by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, told reporters that the White House review was not complete and it was too early to say what the assessment would recommend.

"There is no final product, so it's premature to draw definite conclusions," Morrell said.

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