WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the war is worth fighting and signaled for the first time he may be willing to send more troops after months of publicly resisting a significant increase.

Gates urged patience amid polls showing rising disenchantment among the public with the war effort, saying the American military presence in Afghanistan was necessary to derail terrorists.

At a Pentagon news conference, Gates said efforts by President Barack Obama _ including ordering an additional 21,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan this spring _ are ``only now beginning'' to take effect and should be given a chance to succeed.

``I don't believe that the war is slipping through the administration's fingers,'' Gates said. Later, he added: ``I absolutely do not think it is time to get out of Afghanistan.'' At the same time, there is a ``limited time for us to show that this approach is working,'' Gates said. LINK