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Europe

Dutch government falls over Afghan mission

2010-02-20

THE Dutch government has collapsed, the prime minister said, after members of the coalition government failed to agree on a NATO request to extend the Netherlands' military mission in Afghanistan.

"Later today, I will will offer to her majesty the Queen the resignations of the ministers and deputy ministers of the (Labour Party) PvdA," premier Jan Peter Balkenende said.

He made the announcement after the cabinet held more than 16 hours of talks in The Hague to try to settle the dispute.

The PvdA is one of three parties in the coalition government, with Balkenende's Christian Democratic Appeal the senior partner.

The Wall Street Journal carries a more extensive AP article. Highlights:

1,600 Dutch soldiers currently in Afghanistan, in southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, there since 2006 for an original 2-year commitment already extended to next August

Plus a civilian contractor or two that I'm aware of, and no doubt other etceteras that I'm not...

Prime Minister Balkenende announced that the second largest party in his three-party alliance is quitting, in a breakdown of trust in what had always been an uneasy partnership.

Balkenende said his center-right Christian Democratic Alliance would continue in office together with the small Christian Union, and would ``make available'' Labor's cabinet seats.

The coalition is in third year of a four-year term. Balkenende has been prime minister since 2002, but he resigned twice before because of the country's fractious political alignments.

Labor demanded that Dutch troops leave Uruzgan as scheduled. Christian Dems wanted to keep a trimmed down military presence, where 21 soldiers have been killed.

An election could result in a further rise in power of the anti-immigrant populist Geert Wilders, whose ranking in the polls rivals Balkenende's.

Note: this is the Geert Wilders who is currently on trial for saying mean, albeit true, things about Islam and jihadis.

Opinion polls say the Afghan war is deeply unpopular

But MP Wilders' popularity suggests that drilling down in those poll results could give results those who sponsored the polls don't want to hear.

Posted by:tipper

#6 The Dutch I worked with in the past were top drawer, and from reading Yon, that hasn't changed. The "union" and long hair stuff is ancient history in terms of affecting the effectiveness. These guys are a lot like the Canadians, small units but punching well above their weight if given the opportunity.

Last I heard, they are pretty pissed about the limits placed on them by their politicians, and have figured ways around the rules that allow them to get into the fight.

I hope the politicians will let them CTM.

Posted by: OldSpook 2010-02-20 09:01

#5 I have a girlfriend who just arrived over there as a consultant of some sort. I'll see if she has any thoughts on this.

Posted by: trailing wife 2010-02-20 08:52

#4 The big question is will this cause new elections, and if so, who will come out on top. Hopefully that would give Wilders' party enough clout to end his show trial.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-02-20 08:32

#3 Michael Yon syas their morale and abilities are top notch. It's their political leadership that's the problem.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2010-02-20 08:04

#2 The problem is rarely with the ranker, digger, soldier or Marine. In this case it is The Hague, which has become the first Muslim caliphate in Europe.

Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-20 04:15

#1 I would like to hear the impressions of folks who have worked with the Dutch Army in Afghanistan. When I served in Europe, they were generally considered the "party army". I believe at that time they were the only unionized army in the West.

Yup, they had their own labor union.

Posted by: crosspatch 2010-02-20 02:39

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