Top NATO official defends European missile shield plan, despite reports of technical problems

NATO's top official on Monday defended the alliance's plan for a shield against ballistic missiles in Europe, insisting the system is on track despite two U.S. reports that describe it as over budget and plagued by technical problems.

Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an interview with The Associated Press that tests of the missile defense system show it is working and the military alliance plans to announce its initial operational capacity at its summit in Chicago next month.

"This will make it possible to protect parts of NATO territory, and that concept will be further developed in the coming years so that we will gradually be able to all the populations in European NATO countries," Fogh Rasmussen said.

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