北约峰会场外抗议者围攻警方

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为期两天的北约峰会于3日拉开帷幕，会场设在法国斯特拉斯堡和德国凯尔。在斯特拉斯堡市中心的北约峰会会场周围，数百抗议者4日凌晨与警方发生冲突。警方用催泪瓦斯驱散抗议人群，并拘留了数十人。

As world leaders discuss the conflict in Afghanistan, demonstrators fought the police. The centre of Strasbourg is a fortress, but it didn't stop property from being smashed and set alight.

As you can see, several hundred protesters have gathered here on the outskirts of the City of Strasbourg. The demonstration has turned pretty ugly. These protesters are throwing bottles and rocks to the police. The police are returning fire with teargas and also firing a number of plastic grants.

The security operation has caused more than a hundred million pounds. Some of the demonstrations have been peaceful. This group of students blocked the main tram line to the summit to make their points.

"Maybe it's peaceful here, but we bring war all over the world. So we bring war to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, uh, in African countries, we, uh, so, uh, we bring with peaceful here but the NATO brings war, exports war all over the world."

Members of the alliance were kept well away from the pitched battles. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel led a symbolic crossing of the Rhine. They were greeted in France by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Two nations whose histories are in twining conflict, now united through a 60-year-old alliance.

The mission in Afghanistan is losing its way in the face of a determined Taliban insurgency. Europe has promised to stump up a further five thousand troops, but the extra contingent will only be on duty to provide security for the upcoming Afghan elections.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged an additional one thousand soldiers. He says stability in Afghanistan is vital for European security.

"The Afghan government, in return for NATO's support, must step up its efforts on tackling corruption and tackling the drugs trade which not only disrupts our communities in Britain, but also increasingly funds insurgency and terrorism."

Hamid Karzai also came under pressure. Mr. Brown says after he had words, the Afghan leader will now repeal Taliban-style legislation against women. Italy had also threatened to withdraw its female soldiers from the country.

"The minister of justice will study the whole law, every item of it, very, very carefully. If there is anything that is of concern to us, then we will definitely take action and send it back to the Parliament. You be assured of that. This is something that we are also serious abandoned and we should not allow."

A new NATO Secretary General, too, the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will take up the post later this year.

The NATO Alliance has managed to show some unity, but as demonstrators clash with the police, there’s still questions about what role NATO will have as it enters its seventh decades.