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NATO has a new commander and he says Afghanistan is priority number one. The World’s Matthew Bell reports.

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LISA MULLINS: As the number of US troops in Iraq starts to go down the numbers in Afghanistan are going up. More than 60,000 American soldiers are now in Afghanistan. That’s along with the 40,000 other foreign troops – most from the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Today NATO got a new boss. He is a former prime minister of Denmark. The World’s Matthew Bell reports.

MATTHEW BELL: Anders Foe Rassmussen started his new job as NATO secretary general today. He spoke in Brussels about the importance of preventing Afghanistan from becoming once again, as he put it, Grand Central Station for international terrorism. Rassmussen said this should be a concern not just for Americans but for Europeans as well. In an interview with the BBC he said NATO must do what it takes to prevail in Afghanistan militarily and otherwise.

ANDERS FOE RASSMUSSEN: We have to step up our military efforts but I have to add to this that there’s no military solution solely to the conflict in Afghanistan.

BELL: Doing all that Rassmussen said will take more help from the United Nations and from the European Union. Speaking at a news conference Rassmussen said NATO’s job is to support Afghan institutions to the point where they could take full responsibility for security and law and order and it’s his goal he said to make that happen in the next four years.

RASSMUSSEN: I believe that during my term as NATO secretary general Afghans must take over lead responsibility for security in most of their country. Let me be clear, I say lead responsibility for the Afghans. NATO must and will be there in support. Let no Taliban propagandist try to sell my message as a run for the exit. It is not.

BELL: Rassmussen acknowledged that this is a hugely challenging time for the US-led mission in Afghanistan. Last month was the deadliest yet for multinational forces with more than 70 troops killed. And as more than 20,000 new US troops deploy to Afghanistan many of the European troops there are being kept out of the most dangerous parts of the country. In his interview with the BBC Rassmussen was asked if that might have to change.

RASSMUSSEN: I think we owe it to our commanders in the field that they have the greatest possible flexibility in pursuing their important goals. And it is within the principle of solidarity in our lines that we make our true contributions as flexible as possible.

BELL: Besides prevailing in Afghanistan Rassmussen said NATO’s other priority is repairing its relationship with Russia. Moscow is still opposed to the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Ukraine becoming members of NATO in the future and today it responded positively to the new NATO chief’s speech. Indeed Rassmussen spent much of his speech on dealing with Russia.

RASSMUSSEN: We should extend practical cooperation in areas where we share security interests. There is clearly scope for us to work together on counterterrorism, on Afghanistan, on piracy, on nonproliferation, and many other areas as well. My message to the Russian leadership and people is clear. Let us build trust on cooperation and base our cooperation on shared interests.

BELL: Speaking to what he said makes NATO relevant in the twenty-first century Rassmussen said the alliance remains the ultimate insurance policy for almost one billion people in 28 different countries and he said it’s his goal to see NATO reach its full potential as a pillar of global security. For The World I’m Matthew Bell.

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