[THS] NATO Pressures Netherlands To Keep Troops In Afghanistan

[Peter Webster]

NATO Pressures Netherlands To Keep Troops In Afghanistan
Posted by: "Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff at yahoo.com   rwrozoff
Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:12 pm (PST)

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/nato-wants-dutch-troops-stay-uruzgan

Radio Netherlands
February 26, 2010

NATO wants Dutch troops to stay in Uruzgan

NATO has again asked the Netherlands to keep troops stationed in Afghanistan
despite last week's government collapse due to Labour's refusal to extend the mission
in Uruzgan.

A complete withdrawal would have "major political consequences", a NATO
spokesperson told Radio Netherlands Worldwide. He said it would undermine NATO's
perseverance in Afghanistan....

Last week's government collapse means the Netherlands will almost certainly
withdraw its 1,500 soldiers from the Afghan province of Uruzgan towards the end of
this year.

NATO says it is confident it will find other troops to replace the Dutch soldiers if they
leave.