Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende and foreign minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer are on a working visit to the United States. They will hold talks with US Vice-President Dick Cheney about the ongoing problems with restoring order in Iraq. Mr De Hoop Scheffer is expected to argue for a more prominent role for the United Nations.
Tomorrow the Dutch ministers will have breakfast with President George W Bush. Mr Balkenende and Mr De Hoop Scheffer will also lay a wreath at Arlington national cemetery.
Can he play the game?
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer are on a two-day visit to the United States to meet with members of the Bush administration. Iraq, terrorism and international security will feature high on the agenda.
With more than 1,000 Dutch troops currently deployed in Iraq, the Netherlands is actively taking part in the international force there. The soldiers are deployed in the southern al-Muthanna province, a vast and predominantly Shi'ite area that has been very quiet so far. The main problem the forces have had to grapple with is the blistering heat, with temperatures often touching 50 degrees Celsius.
Concerns
Developments in other parts of the country are much less favourable. Increasingly frequent and devastating bomb-attacks, mounting unrest and dissatisfaction among the Iraqi population, as well as the stagnating reconstruction effort have become sources of serious concern, not only to the Americans and British, who together make up the bulk of the stabilisation force, but also to the Dutch government.
The Hague is calling for a stronger United Nations role in Iraq. It notes that the tough US military approach is meeting stiff resistance from the proud Iraqis. The Dutch government believes a UN-led operation would facilitate overall acceptance of the international presence and erode support for pro-Saddam saboteurs.
No from Washington
President Bush repeatedly dismisses any suggestion to this effect. Until last week, when reports from Washington suggested a larger UN role was being considered.
The Dutch Prime Minister's call for greater UN participation may therefore not be rejected out of hand. Jan Peter Balkenende can add some substance to his argument by offering an extension of the Dutch military presence in Iraq. A full year instead of the agreed 6 months is certainly an option. But for The Hague, this extension would have to be conditional on US acceptance of a larger United Nations role in Iraq.
It's the minimum leverage a small country like the Netherlands can bring to bear in order to lend weight to its ideas. Will the politically still inexperienced Prime Minister Balkenende be able to play this game? We'll probably know the answer later this week.
http://www.rnw.nl/hotspots/html/dut030902.html (If you decide to view the picture on this link, it's the Dutch PM, not Harry Potter)