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New Nato chief takes charge
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister, has started his first day at work as head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
In his first major speech as the military alliance's head, Rasmussen said that during his five year term he wanted to see "Afghans take over responsibility for security in most of their country", in reference to the US-led operation in Afghanistan.
"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.
"We will support the Afghan people for as long as it takes. But ... this means helping them stand on their own feet," he said on Monday.
Nato took over some operations in Afghanistan six years ago, but a rising number of civilian casualties because of attacks by western forces has fuelled Afghan anger.
'Reduced role'
James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from the Afghan capital, Kabul, said while there was talk of doubling Afghan's army, Nato does not have the role in Afghanistan that it used to have.
"We have all US and Nato forces under the command of one man, a US general. America is in the drving seat. Nato and other countries are in many ways the passengers," he said.
Haroun Mir, an Afghan political analyst, warned that Nato's new secretary-general faced a "difficult" mission.
"Firstly to convince some of these countries to be more active in fight against terror in Afghanistan, secondly to increase their number of troops, and thirdly to prevent some of these countries who might pull back their forces from Afghanistan."
Denmark's former leader took up his duties on August 1, but Monday marks his first day as secretary-general of the US-Europe military alliance.
He takes over from the Netherland's Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who held the role since 2004.
Muslim relations
Rasmussen almost lost out on the job earlier in the year after Turkey, a key Nato member, opposed his appointment, only backing down after he vowed to seek better relations with the Muslim world.
Relations between Denmark and the Muslim world came under strain in 2005, during Rasmussen's premiership, after Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Despite global protests, Rasmussen refused to condemn the publication.
On Monday, Rasmussen said Nato's relations with Muslim nations in groups such as the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ISCI) were a priority.
The MD is a 10-year old forum between Nato and Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, while the ISCI, a newer initiative, promotes co-operation between the alliance and Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates
"Let me assure [these] countries... that I am fully committed to building stronger relations with them on the basis of mutual respect, understanding, trust and to face common challenges - terrorism, proliferation and the dangers of failed states," Rasmussen said.
Al Jazeera English - Europe - New Nato chief takes charge
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister, has started his first day at work as head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
In his first major speech as the military alliance's head, Rasmussen said that during his five year term he wanted to see "Afghans take over responsibility for security in most of their country", in reference to the US-led operation in Afghanistan.
"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.
"We will support the Afghan people for as long as it takes. But ... this means helping them stand on their own feet," he said on Monday.
Nato took over some operations in Afghanistan six years ago, but a rising number of civilian casualties because of attacks by western forces has fuelled Afghan anger.
'Reduced role'
James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent reporting from the Afghan capital, Kabul, said while there was talk of doubling Afghan's army, Nato does not have the role in Afghanistan that it used to have.
"We have all US and Nato forces under the command of one man, a US general. America is in the drving seat. Nato and other countries are in many ways the passengers," he said.
Haroun Mir, an Afghan political analyst, warned that Nato's new secretary-general faced a "difficult" mission.
"Firstly to convince some of these countries to be more active in fight against terror in Afghanistan, secondly to increase their number of troops, and thirdly to prevent some of these countries who might pull back their forces from Afghanistan."
Denmark's former leader took up his duties on August 1, but Monday marks his first day as secretary-general of the US-Europe military alliance.
He takes over from the Netherland's Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who held the role since 2004.
Muslim relations
Rasmussen almost lost out on the job earlier in the year after Turkey, a key Nato member, opposed his appointment, only backing down after he vowed to seek better relations with the Muslim world.
Relations between Denmark and the Muslim world came under strain in 2005, during Rasmussen's premiership, after Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Despite global protests, Rasmussen refused to condemn the publication.
On Monday, Rasmussen said Nato's relations with Muslim nations in groups such as the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ISCI) were a priority.
The MD is a 10-year old forum between Nato and Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, while the ISCI, a newer initiative, promotes co-operation between the alliance and Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates
"Let me assure [these] countries... that I am fully committed to building stronger relations with them on the basis of mutual respect, understanding, trust and to face common challenges - terrorism, proliferation and the dangers of failed states," Rasmussen said.
Al Jazeera English - Europe - New Nato chief takes charge
