Profile: new NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen

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Anders Fogh Rasmussen born in 1953, has been active in politics most of his life.

He became a member of the Danish parliament in 1978. From 1987, he served as Taxation and then Economic Minister.

Rasmussen was elected president of the Liberal Party, which came to power in the 2001 election. The party has governed in a parliamentary coalition, surviving both the 2005 election and 2007 election.

Rasmussen was an early supporter of former US President George W Bush's war on terror. He has sent Danish troops to Iraq, and urged NATO members to send more forces to Afghanistan. Denmark currently has about 750 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Rasmussen visited China in 2004 and 2008.

New NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen