Albright urges wider NATO role

The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, has said NATO must be prepared to deal with what she described as a new series of global threats to its interests.

At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Mrs Albright said issues such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction could pose bigger challenges in the next century than NATO's traditional role of maintaining security in Europe.

The BBC Defence Correspondent says many NATO members are likely to react cautiously to the idea of expanding the alliance's operations in the manner suggested by Mrs Albright.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service