in VOA Special English.American Defense SecretaryRobert Gates has told NATO membersthat they need to do more-- and spend more-- to support the alliance.ROBERT GATES: "The blunt realityis that there will be dwindlingappetite and patiencein the US Congress-- and in the Americanbody politic writ large-- to expend increasinglyprecious fundson behalf of nationsthat are apparently unwillingto devote the necessary resourcesor make the necessary changesto be serious and capable partnersin their own defense."On Friday, Mr. Gates gavehis last policy speechbefore he retiresas defense secretaryon June thirtieth.He spoke in Brussels, Belgium,at the headquarters of the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization.NATO was created in nineteen forty-nineto defend western Europeagainst the Soviet Union.Mr. Gates spoke aboutone current NATO operation-- the bombing campaign in Libya.He noted that all twenty-eight membersvoted for the mission.But less than half havetaken part at all, he said,and fewer than a thirdhave been willing to participatein the campaign.He said many allies want totake part but lack the resources.Last week NATO decided to extendits activities in Libyauntil the end of September.Mr. Gates said that by one estimate,European defense spending has fallenby nearly fifteen percentin the past ten years.He said this has affectedwhat he called the first"hot" ground war in NATO history-- the war in Afghanistan.ROBERT GATES: "Despite more thantwo million troops in uniform- not counting the US military- NATO has struggled,at times desperately,to sustain a deploymentof twenty-five thousandto forty-five thousand troops,not just in boots on the ground,but in crucial support assets."Mr. Gates said the Americanshare of NATO defense spendinghas now risen to more thanseventy-five percent.This is happening at a timewhen budget cuts are being consideredin the United States.President Obama has calledfor an additional four hundredbillion dollarsin defense reductions.Mr. Gates said nationsmust be responsiblefor their fair share of the common defense.He warned about the future of NATOunless Europe stops cutting backon defense spending.He said there is "the very realpossibility of collectivemilitary irrelevance" for the alliance.He said future American leadersmay not consider the returnon America's investmentin NATO worth the cost.President Obama's choiceto become the next defense secretaryis Leon Panetta.Mr. Panetta is currently the directorof the Central Intelligence Agency.The CIA job would go to David Petraeus,currently the top American generalin Afghanistan, if the Senateapproves the nominations.President Obama wants to beginwithdrawing American troopsfrom Afghanistan next month.The goal is to end United Statesmilitary operations in that countryby the end of twenty-fourteen.On Thursday, the SenateArmed Services Committeeheld a confirmation hearingfor Mr. Panetta.Several senators gave him creditfor being the person President Obamanamed to head the effort that ledto the killing of Osama bin Laden.Mr. Panetta said he believedthe killing gave the United Statesthe best chance to defeat al-Qaidasince the attacksof September eleventh,two thousand one.And that's IN THE NEWSin VOA Special English.