Danish neocon ex-Prime Minister Rasmussen takes over as NATO head

Anders Fogh Rasmussen took the helm of NATO on Monday with a pledge to prevent Afghanistan from once more becoming the hub of international terrorism and to build a new strategic partnership with Russia.

Rasmussen is in Israel's and
Israel Lobby's hip pockets

On his first day in office, the former Danish prime minister laid out his priorities at a time when NATO is embroiled in its biggest ever mission and ties with Moscow are only just beginning to recover after last year's war in Georgia.

Around 100,000 foreign troops are currently stationed in Afghanistan to counter an insurgency by the Taliban against the government of President Hamid Karzai.

The new secretary-general told reporters that troops serving in NATO's mission would help prevent Afghanistan from "becoming again a grand central station of international terrorism." More