Robert Gates in Afghanistan

Frustrations
During a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Gates was startled to hear the American-backed leader say that Afghanistan would be not be able to pay for its own security until 2024. The Defense Secretary stared at the floor, then politely corrected him, but the comment did not go unnoticed. In the New York Times, Maureen Dowd quipped that puppets just aren't what they used to be.

• The War in Afghanistan Up Close