BRUSSELS: Former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen takes over as NATO's new secretary-general on Monday as part of a team assembled by President Barack Obama to lead the war effort in Afghanistan.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who stepped down yesterday as NATO's leader, has repeatedly warned that the war in Afghanistan represents a crucial test of the power and relevance of the 60-year-old alliance.

NATO has about 64,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, where they are struggling to contain a rising Taliban insurgency.