<p>Following NATO’s decision earlier this month to send Patriot missiles to Turkey’s border with Syria NATO’s Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen defended the action against criticism from Iran’s armed forces chief. Rasumussen reiterated that the missiles were for purely defenisive purposes and not, as Iran claims, a provocative move.</p><br /><p>NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen:</p><br /><p>"I completely denounce these allegations. We have made clear right from the outset that the deployment of Patriots is a purely defensive measure. We are there to defend and protect our allyTurkey. We have no offensive intentions whatsoever and we have made that clear right from the outset,</p><br /><p>“The only actors that might be concerned about this purely defensive deployment of Patriot missiles are actors that might have silly ideas to use their missile capabilities for offensive purposes.”</p><br /><p>The United States, Germany and the Netherlands will be sending a total of six Patriot missile batteries to the region. They are expected to be operational by the end of January.</p>
