Danish PM is new Nato chief

By James Blitz and Ben Hall in Strasbourg

Nato heads of government have overcome differences that had threatened to mar their 60th anniversary summit in Strasbourg and Kehl when they appointed Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Danish prime minister, as their new secretary-general.

At the same time, Nato also appeared to meet its ambitions to provide additional security for this autumn’s presidential elections in Afghanistan with an agreement to send additional troops.

Barack Obama, US president, said his alliance partners would deploy about 5,000 troops and trainers to Afghanistan ”to advance [Washington’s] new strategy”.

US officials said some 900 troops would be temporarily deployed by the UK, 600 by Spain and that Italy and France would also provide troops.

The appointment of Mr Rasmussen as replacement for the Netherlands’ Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was a relief for Nato leaders after Turkey spent much of the summit opposing his candidacy.

Mr Rasmussen had enjoyed the support of France, Germany and the UK in his bid to fill a post that has always gone to a European.

However, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, reiterated his opposition ahead of the summit.

Ankara’s opposition was driven by the publication of newspaper cartoons in Danish newspapers making fun of the Prophet Mohammed which triggered a furore in the Muslim world.

Turkey’s decision eventually to back Mr Rasmussen avoided what would have been a humiliation for Nato in general and for European leaders in particular.

Many diplomats are beginning to question Nato’s viability as an institution because of the growing weight the US plays in the alliance’s Afghan mission, and the failure of European states to deploy more troops permanently.

Failure to agree a secretary-general at this summit would have raised more questions about whether Nato governments are sufficiently united to meet the heavy challenges the organisation faces.

Saturday’s summit concluded amid high security in Strasbourg where anti-Nato protesters fought police and set buildings alight in the city.

Gordon Brown, UK prime minister, praised the decision to send more troops saying that this means that ”burden-sharing over these next few critical months is a reality.”