Silvio Berlusconi and Nicolas Sarkozy arrive at Nato summit
- 00:01:47
- ITN
Silvio Berlusconi and Nicolas Sarkozy arrive at Nato summit
Riot police have fired teargas at anti-Nato protesters at a meeting of world leaders in Strasbourg. The heads of the 28 member states including US President Barack Obama are hoping to forge a new strategic vision for the military alliance at its 60th anniversary summit in the French city. Anti-summit protesters, campaigning to have Nato disbanded following the end of the Cold War, vowed to disrupt Saturday's meeting after two days of violent clashes. Trouble broke out several hundred metres from the summit early on Saturday after protesters defied a security cordon around Strasbourg and hurled smoke bombs and fireworks. Police said they had arrested 25 demonstrators during the night and estimated 1,800 had left a makeshift protest camp on Strasbourg's outskirts in groups, watched by police helicopters. Leaders had hoped to reach a decision on who should be appointed Secretary-General, clearing the way for detailed discussions on Mr Obama's new Afghanistan strategy. But Turkey has become embroiled in a dispute with Europe by blocking their preferred candidate for the top job, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Turkey has criticised Mr Rasmussen's handling of a row in 2006 over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that offended Muslims. In a speech to students on Friday, Mr Obama said Europe was more threatened by Al-Qaeda than the United States because it was closer to the conflict zones. He said European nations should do more to help in the fight against Islamist militants in the Afghan war, which risks slipping from Nato's control more than seven years after US-backed forces toppled the Taliban from power.
ITN | April 4, 2009
