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**L8fGLM4d** · 02-22-2010, 01:41 AM

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...xJ3phsBQSrWmyQ

Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan

(UKPA) – 29 minutes ago

Dutch troops will begin leaving southern Afghanistan in August, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has said.

Speaking a day after his coalition government collapsed over the issue, Mr Balkenende said the Netherlands will end its role in Uruzgan province, where 21 Dutch soldiers have been killed since the mission was first deployed in 2006.

"Our task as the lead nation ends in August this year," he said on Dutch television.

A marathon cabinet meeting that broke up before dawn ended with the walkout of the second largest party in the government, Labour, which accused the dominant Christian Democratic Alliance of reneging on a 2007 agreement to bring the troops home this year.

The premier is to formally advise Queen Beatrix that he no longer commands a majority in parliament and will hand in the resignations of the six Labour Party ministers. That will begin the process likely to lead to an election in May, one year ahead of schedule.

The impending drawdown was clearly bitter for Mr Balkenende, who argued forcefully to remain in Uruzgan on a scaled-down training mission for Afghan security forces. He repeated that it would be valueless to conduct such training missions outside Uruzgan.

Under the Dutch system, a caretaker cabinet cannot take actions that lack consensus, and therefore Mr Balkenende said he was bound by an earlier decision to relinquish the command position in Uruzgan as of August 1.

The pullout will take up to three months, and the last of its soldiers will be gone from the volatile province by December.

The parliament was expected to hold another debate on Afghanistan shortly, taking up the question of whether the Air Force could deploy F-16s, helicopters and headquarters staff and whether development workers and even diplomats could be stationed outside Kabul, the capital.

But the current mood in parliament is hardly amenable to a continued presence there. In the debate last Thursday, a clear majority of the 150-member house was in favour of pulling out, with the split laid bare between Balkenende and his finance minister, Labour Party leader Wouter Bos.

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

02-22-2010, 01:41 AM	#3
L8fGLM4d Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 551 Senior Member	http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...xJ3phsBQSrWmyQ Dutch troops to leave Afghanistan (UKPA) – 29 minutes ago Dutch troops will begin leaving southern Afghanistan in August, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has said. Speaking a day after his coalition government collapsed over the issue, Mr Balkenende said the Netherlands will end its role in Uruzgan province, where 21 Dutch soldiers have been killed since the mission was first deployed in 2006. "Our task as the lead nation ends in August this year," he said on Dutch television. A marathon cabinet meeting that broke up before dawn ended with the walkout of the second largest party in the government, Labour, which accused the dominant Christian Democratic Alliance of reneging on a 2007 agreement to bring the troops home this year. The premier is to formally advise Queen Beatrix that he no longer commands a majority in parliament and will hand in the resignations of the six Labour Party ministers. That will begin the process likely to lead to an election in May, one year ahead of schedule. The impending drawdown was clearly bitter for Mr Balkenende, who argued forcefully to remain in Uruzgan on a scaled-down training mission for Afghan security forces. He repeated that it would be valueless to conduct such training missions outside Uruzgan. Under the Dutch system, a caretaker cabinet cannot take actions that lack consensus, and therefore Mr Balkenende said he was bound by an earlier decision to relinquish the command position in Uruzgan as of August 1. The pullout will take up to three months, and the last of its soldiers will be gone from the volatile province by December. The parliament was expected to hold another debate on Afghanistan shortly, taking up the question of whether the Air Force could deploy F-16s, helicopters and headquarters staff and whether development workers and even diplomats could be stationed outside Kabul, the capital. But the current mood in parliament is hardly amenable to a continued presence there. In the debate last Thursday, a clear majority of the 150-member house was in favour of pulling out, with the split laid bare between Balkenende and his finance minister, Labour Party leader Wouter Bos. Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
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