Posted on 09/19/2007 2:10:11 PM PDT by knighthawk
NATO is turning up the heat on the Netherlands to keep its troops in Afghanistan. A senior military chief at NATO recently made a formal request to the Dutch government to keep its force in the country.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Wednesday urged that 'no-one should withdraw from Afghanistan'. In an interview with Dutch Newspaper NRC Handelsblad, the Dutchman said he could not imagine that the Dutch would withdraw.
'No orange tree' NATO spokesman James Appathurai reiterated this and added: "NATO is not an orange tree; the Secretary General can't just shake the tree and troops fall out of the sky. The Dutch are part of NATO, our request [for them to stay] is part of a normal process and we'll have to have that discussion together."
Wading in on the debate While these moves are consistent with ongoing calls for the Dutch to stay the course, they could influence the current Cabinet debate on the mission. The cabinet in The Hague is expected to decide by early October on whether or not to extend the mission beyond August next year, when it formally expires.
William Wood, US Ambassador to Afghanistan told Radio Netherlands Worldwide:
"The Dutch are playing an important role [...]. Their contribution is unique. We support an active Dutch presence and hope the Dutch government will do the same."
Speaking during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Mr Wood acknowledged that the Dutch had suffered setbacks but he stressed the importance of their contribution:
"The Dutch had a difficult spring and summer [because] the Taliban launched an offensive in Uruzgan. But they acquitted themselves well. They are experts and deeply experienced in Afghanistan."
More NATO cash?
A possible outcome of the current cabinet talks is that the Dutch would reduce their troop numbers by one-third and cut down on the planes and helicopters to save money. Some ministers are also calling for greater financial support from other NATO members. James Appathurai confirmed that the organisation is 'looking into ways to share the cost'.
However to win the battle against insurgents, Mr Wood echoed NATO's message that this would be a 'prolonged struggle' requiring long-term international presence.
"The Taliban is shifting tactics. The international forces are... running risks. They should be examining their presence. But as they do so, they should remember why we are here: for the democratisation and development of Afghanistan after the 25 years it has suffered and rescuing it from being a launching pad for terrorists. I think our allies will conclude these are worthwhile goals."
It is now up to Dutch ministers to decide whether they still want to be part of this mission.
Ping
I hate it when I get “pressurised”...........
I hear Gas-X works for that. :)
Pressurized Dutchmen?
What’s the maximum PSI they can handle?
Interesting how the wrong word in a thread makes the whole discussion go completely astray.
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