us threaten the dutch

Dutch must send troops: US
John Kerin
January 12, 2006
theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17796947%255E31477,00.html

WASHINGTON'S former administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer has warned the Dutch they could face economic penalties in the US if they fail to send troops to Afghanistan.

NATO has also turned up the heat on the Dutch, while the fate of a 200-strong provincial reconstruction team Australia wants to send to Afghanistan hangs in the balance because it is relying on the Dutch to provide security.

"I assume from time to time decisions must be taken by the US Government and Congress which affect Dutch economic interests," Mr Bremer, a former ambassador to The Netherlands, told Dutch newspaper De Volksrant. "It is not difficult to imagine that decisions will be made that are not in the best interests of The Netherlands.

"What is NATO about if our allies are not prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with us?"

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said the US was perplexed by the Dutch hesitation.

Dutchman and NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has also called on The Hague to back the deployment.

"We shouldn't grant the Taliban or al-Qa'ida victory, we should go on supporting the Karzai Government," the NATO chief said on Tuesday.

Increased attacks from Taliban and al-Qa'ida fighters have prompted NATO to boost its forces in Afghanistan from 10,000 to 16,000 troops, which will free up US troops to mount a more aggressive offensive along the border with Pakistan.

But while Canada and Britain have agreed to send more troops, the Dutch parliament has yet to approve its deployment of up to 1400 troops, F-16 fighters and Apache helicopters.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has backed the move, but public fears the troops could face heavy casualties have delayed parliamentary approval.

Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill said he believed the Dutch would give the mission the go-ahead. "NATO believes that the Dutch deployment would be the one that worked best with the type of contribution Australia wants to make," Senator Hill said.

He announced on Tuesday that Australia would send two Chinook helicopters, 110 support crew and some special forces troops to reinforce the 190 Australian SAS troops already in southeast Afghanistan. The new deployment means Australia will have 500 troops in Afghanistan by mid-year, although the entire complement is scheduled to be withdrawn before the end of the year.

Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammad Zahir Azimi yesterday thanked Australia for its new contribution. He told the ABC that Afghanistan would require the support of international troops until it was powerful enough to take responsibility for its own security.