THE NETHERLANDS: An extra 1,400 Dutch soldiers will be sent to Afghanistan to boost the Nato mission to fight terrorism and help reconstruction in the central Asian state. Jamie Smyth, European Correspondent, reports
The Dutch cabinet took the decision yesterday after a vote in favour of troop deployment late on Thursday by the parliament.
"The cabinet wants our soldiers to contribute to security and reconstruction in Uruzgan. I have seen that there is very broad support in parliament, so the mission can go ahead," said prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende.
Of the 150 members of parliament, 131 voted for the motion, which had been delayed due to public and political concerns.
The move will allow some US troops to withdraw from Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan, an area still a stronghold for Taliban fighters. It is also important for Nato, which is seeking a new role after the fall of communism.
There have been concerns in the Netherlands about the US military's tough methods in its "enduring freedom" campaign and its treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan. The issue split the coalition government with the small D66 liberal party voting against the deployment.
"One of the coalition parties said it was against the Bush, Blair and Balkenende axis. This is worrying from an international point of view, as it means that the government does not, in fact, have a majority," said political scientist Andre Krouwel of the Free University of Amsterdam.
The opposition Labour Party, the second biggest party in the Netherlands, helped sway the vote with its backing of the mission in parliament.
"If the risk is a return to repression and the terror of the Taliban, and there is a chance of success, then we should not be afraid of this mission, even if it will be difficult," said party leader Wouter Bos.