NATO history made at Norfolk command

NORFOLK, Va. - A French general has taken charge of NATO's only strategic command in North America as the alliance's secretary-general is expressing concern about growing public skepticism about the war effort in Afghanistan.

In remarks prepared for the historic change-of-command Wednesday in Norfolk, NATO's Anders Fogh Rasmussen said "the public discourse on the effort in Afghanistan has started to go in the wrong direction."

Rasmussen spoke at the change-of-command at NATO's Allied Command Transformation. Gen. Stephane Abrial is the first non-American officer in the alliance's 60-year history to permanently fill a command post.

"The French decision to reintegrate fully into NATO will improve the transatlantic relationship and thereby reinforce the job of NATO on the international scene," said Rasmussen.

Abrial is one of NATO's two supreme allied commanders, posts that traditionally are filled by four-star U.S. generals. He succeeds U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis.

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