Rasmussen’s term as NATO chief extended for extra year

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen will remain in his post for an extra year, member states decided Wednesday, extending his term to July 31, 2014. “Allies will support Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in his dedicated work to carry forward NATO’s tasks, missions and objectives,” the ambassadors on the military alliance’s North Atlantic Council said in a statement. The 59-year-old former Danish prime minister has led NATO since August 2009, when he succeeded Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Rasmussen’s term was due to end in July. . “I’m honoured by the trust and support allied governments have shown me,” Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels. “I have been privileged to lead this alliance through testing times. This is a great responsibility and I am determined to live up to it.” He identified the development of NATO’s European missile defence system and the alliance’s mission to protect civilians in Libya as some of the highlights of his term so far. They are also some of the most controversial efforts undertaken by NATO, pitting it against Russia, among others. The extension of his mandate will allow Rasmussen to continue overseeing the work paving the way for the withdrawal of foreign combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.