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Talks are under way to free a Dutch helicopter crew captured in Libya trying to evacuate foreign citizens, the Netherlands' defence ministry says. The three marines landed their Lynx near the port of Sirte on Sunday, flying in from the Dutch warship Tromp, which is anchored off the Libyan coast. "Intensive negotiations" were under way, a ministry spokesman said. The ministry was in contact with the marines who were "doing well under the circumstances", he added. "We hope they will be released as quickly as possible," Otte Beeksma told the Associated Press news agency. Asked if the Dutch government considered...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Armed forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi captured three Dutch marines and their helicopter during a botched evacuation mission near a stronghold of the Libyan leader, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. Libyan authorities are still holding the marines five days after they were seized Sunday by armed men after landing near Sirte in a Lynx helicopter from the navy ship HMS Tromp. The ship was anchored off the Libyan coast to help evacuations from the conflict-torn country, spokesman Otte Beeksma told The Associated Press. Two Europeans, one Dutch and one whose nationality was not released, were also...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Dutch marines said Wednesday that several dozen artillery shells discovered last month in Iraq contain no biological or chemical agents. The 130-mm artillery shells, which dated back to the 1991 Gulf War, were found just north of the town of Samawah in the Dutch-monitored al-Muthana province on Oct. 8. The shells were initially considered suspect because they showed signs of discoloring. They will undergo more tests by British and American experts. Marines spokesman Albert Markus said "testing until now has shown no signs of chemical or biological weapons." Around 1,100 Dutch marines have been in the...