NATO meeting overshadowed by ongoing anger over cartoons

Representatives of the 26 member countries of NATO are meeting in Sicily over the next two days for informal talks about the future of the 57-year-old organisation. For the first time, their counterparts from Israel and six Arab nations have been invited to take part.

The talks are likely to be overshadowed by the growing tide of fury prompted by the Prophet Mohammad cartoons crisis. The meeting is officially aimed at expanding NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, as well as strengthening ties with Middle Eastern nations. But, with reinforcements being sent to Afghanistan to help embattled Norwegian troops targeted by demonstrators angry about the cartoon representations of the Prophet Mohammad, the focus is likely to shift somewhat. However, NATO is insisting the expansion into the more dangerous southern parts of Afghanistan will still go ahead.

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