Dutch cabinet considers new Afghan mission after troop withdrawal

Jan 6, 2011, 10:55 GMT

Amsterdam - The Dutch government wants to deploy 350 police and military officers to train security forces in Afghanistan, just months after the Netherlands pulled most of its soldiers out of the war-torn country, the de Volkskrant newspaper reported Thursday.

The trainers would reportedly be sent after Easter to the capital Kabul and the northern province of Kunduz, where they will receive support from German troops.

The Dutch cabinet, which is to debate the leaked plans on Friday, also reportedly plans to leave four F-16 fighter jets with some 120 flight and ground personnel in Afghanistan.

The Netherlands had become the first NATO country to officially end its Afghanistan military deployment this summer, after tensions over its involvement led to the breakup of the governing coalition.

The dispute had pitted the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), which pushed to prolong the deployment as requested by NATO, against the Labour Party, which insisted on adhering to a coalition agreement that called for a troop withdrawal starting in August 2010.

The Hague has since been strongly urged by NATO and the United States to not completely end its military involvement in Afghanistan by at least helping to train local security forces.

The Dutch parliament would have to approve the proposed training mission. Prime Minister Mark Rutte's governing coalition does not control a parliamentary majority and would thus need the backing of opposition parties.

Observers expect that the plans will garner the support of a slight parliamentary majority, despite resistance to the idea by the Labour Party and the far-right Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders.

Before its withdrawal, the Netherlands had stationed up to 2,000 soldiers in the southern Uruzgan province since 2006, with 24 killed and some 140 injured.

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