Defense Secretary Robert Gates has issued a rare criticism of Obama administration colleagues for a series of leaks detailing a split over the escalation of the US occupation of Afghanistan. On Thursday, Gates said he was “appalled” internal discussions on Afghanistan had been publicly revealed. Administration sources revealed this week the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, had warned against deploying additional troops. Eikenberry’s stance puts him at odds with the top US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, who has requested around 40,000 additional soldiers. At a war cabinet meeting, President Obama also reportedly asked for revisions to all four of the troop options he was presented and echoed Eikenberry’s concerns about corruption in the Afghan government.