Welcome aboard, mates! Good luck, good hunting, and Godspeed.
Amid ongoing Iraqi renegade attacks against US troops, the advance party of a Dutch contingent deployed to Iraq as part of the British-led stabilisation force departed for the war-torn nation from bordering Kuwait on Tuesday night.
The Dutch Cabinet decided on 6 June to contribute to the international stabilisation force for Iraq and the Parliament backed the deployment on 25 June
(Thanks, we won’t forget!)
The intention is that the Netherlands will take up active peacekeeping duties in Iraq from 1 August, taking over from US forces in the al-Muthanna province. The transfer of command will be relayed to residents via a local broadcaster. The troops’ priority is to maintain stability in the region and give the local administration the chance to organise itself. Dubbed Sfir, the Dutch contingent will consist in total of 1,100 soldiers, the heart of which will be made up of a battalion of 650 marines. They will be supported by a company of the engineering corps, a field hospital, military police and three Chinook transport helicopters and armoured transports and are expected to remain in Iraq for six months. |