Posted on 05/11/2004 3:38:48 AM PDT by knighthawk
A Dutch soldier died on Tuesday after being wounded in an attack in Iraq. The 36-year-old sergeant, member of the Netherlands airmobile brigade, was the first Dutch casualty in Iraq since some 1,300 troops were stationed there last July. Defence Ministry sources say the sergeant was one of four patrolling soldiers who came under attack late on Monday afternoon as they crossed a bridge over the Euphrates, in the town of al-Samawa, the capital of the southern province of al-Muthanna. Unknown assailants reportedly lobbed two or more grenades at the group, injuring two of the soldiers. The sergeant died overnight in the field hospital at Camp Smitty, the Dutch base camp a few kilometres outside al-Samawa. The second soldier was seriously wounded but no longer in a critical condition.
Little is known about the identity of the attackers. A defence spokesman in The Hague said it was unclear whether the Dutch troops opened fire on the attackers.
Area no longer quiet
Until recently, the southern al-Muthanna province, where Dutch troops are tasked with providing security on behalf of Coalition forces, was known as one of the most tranquil areas in Iraq. But that changed in early April when Coalition House in central al-Samawa was attacked by what were believed to be followers of the radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Dutch soldiers returned fire. On 22 April, Camp Smitty came under mortar fire, leaving no one injured. A week later, a second such attack took place at another Dutch base at al-Rumayta.
Monday´s fatal incident is set to influence the debate within the Dutch government and parliament on a possible extension of the Iraq mission. A decision is due by 15 June at the latest. Two of the three parties within the ruling coalition, the Christian Democrats and the Conservatives, are in favour of an extension, but the junior Democrats 66 party has serious reservations, which are likely to be reinforced by the deadly attack.
No reason to pull out
The general secretary of the Dutch military trade union AFMP was quoted as saying that the incident in itself provided no reason to withdraw, but that a reappraisal of the Dutch presence would be necessary once security conditions continue to deteriorate to the point where the troops have to remain inside their camps and are no longer able to do their job.
Following the news from Iraq, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Defence Minister Henk Kamp cut short their currently on visits overseas and have returned to the Netherlands.
Japanese presence
Japan, which has stationed 500 troops in and around al-Samawa, has announced that security measures are to be stepped up. Like The Hague, the government in Tokyo sees no reason to pull back its forces or suspend its activities.
A key question within the Japanese political context is whether or not al-Muthanna province should be considered a war zone. The country's constitution stipulates that no Japanese troops should be sent to areas of combat. In an initial response to the death of the Dutch soldier, a Japanese government spokesman said al-Muthanna would not be regarded as a combat zone, yet.
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