Gates, who arrived in this southern German city to attend an international security conference, said he would seek to convince reluctant Europeans of the need to send reinforcements to fight the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan not only was the source of attacks against the United States in 2001, but it is clear that Al-Qaeda and others in this area have played a role in these attacks that have taken place in Europe, so this is a direct security threat to Europe," said Gates.

"Part of my speech at the security conference will be oriented at Europeans, not their governments, in an effort to try to explain why their security is tied to success in Afghanistan" where NATO has deployed some 40,000 men, Gates said.

Fresh from talks in Vilnius with fellow NATO defence ministers, he said he would also seek to convince Europeans that the Afghan threat was more serious than that from Iraq.

"I worry that for many Europeans the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are confused... I think that they (the Europeans) combine the two, many of them have a problem with our involvement in Iraq and project that to Afghanistan and don't understand the very different kind of threat," he said.

The United States has deployed 160,000 soldiers in Iraq and 28,000 in Afghanistan.

The secretary's warning came as senior government officials in Berlin warned Friday that Germany was now a prime target for Al-Qaeda.

It also followed shortly on a US intelligence report saying that Al-Qaeda, with bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, had improved its ability to strike directly at the United States.

"Germany is at the centre of Al-Qaeda's attention and in their line of fire. The facts have changed since last year," Germany's interior ministry spokesman Stefan Paris told reporters Friday.

A state secretary in the interior ministry, August Hanning, had earlier told Die Welt newspaper that Al-Qaeda leaders had "decided to carry out attacks in Germany."

In early February, the US intelligence community in a report to Congress warned that Al-Qaeda had improved its ability to identify, train and position operatives to attack the United States.

Gates has been attempting to convince European allies to send reinforcements to Afghanistan, especially to the south of the country where the Taliban have been making a comeback and where fighting has been heaviest in the past months.

A US-led force ousted them from power in 2001.

Speaking of France's likely decision to send extra troops to southern Afghanistan, Gates told reporters this would be a "very good signal" and "a most welcome contribution" to NATO's efforts.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin, speaking Thursday in Vilnius, said France was prepared to help Canada in Afghanistan's restive south, though he gave no details.

Canada, whose 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan have faced much of the brunt of recent fighting, has threatened to withdraw its troops next year unless NATO sends in a 1,000-strong additional contingent, along with helicopters and drones, to help them hold the line.

Poland and Germany have both declined to send troops to southern Afghanistan where Canadian, British, US and Dutch forces are currently stationed.

Gates is to address the Munich security conference on Sunday.

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