VICTORIA, Canada (AFP) — Top generals from NATO's 26 member nations gathered in this western Canadian city on Saturday to discuss the group's goals and operations.
With eight operations on four continents in the past two years, "NATO has a lot of work to do," said Canadian Air Force General Ray Henault, chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Military Committee.
Henault told reporters as talks ended Saturday that the event was aimed in part at considering how to manage changes if some nations that contribute troops to operations in Afghanistan decide to withdraw or change their role.
NATO has operations are also underway in Kosovo, Iraq and Darfur, but Afghanistan "is NATO's job one, this is our number-one op priority," Henault said.
The generals are scheduled to tour Canada's western navy base at Esquimalt on Sunday before ending their Canadian tour, which began earlier in the week in Ottawa.
As the generals met at a luxurious waterfront hotel, more than 300 demonstrators outside called for NATO to be disbanded.
"NATO is now a weapon of American Imperialists," said protest organizer Phil Lyons, holding up photos of babies who he said were disfigured by NATO weapons in Afghanistan.
"NATO is a war tool the West uses to intimidate other nations into submission," added protester Randy Carvaggio.
Victoria police spokesman Sergeant Grant Hamilton said the protest was peaceful, and there were no arrests and no altercations.
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