RIGA, Latvia, Nov 29, SPA -- NATO's rapid response force will be declared fully operational, the alliance's chief said Wednesday. «We will declare a NATO response force fullyfunctional,» Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told leaders at a summit in the Latvian capital. The force is touted as the centerpiece of efforts to modernize NATO's military, allowing European allies to join the United States in sending forces around the world to respond to terror threats, failed states or regional conflicts, the Associated Press reported.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/407160