Ah, some good news out of the Netherlands.
An overwhelming majority of the Dutch parliament yesterday supported sending troops on a controversial mission to southern Afghanistan, ending months of political indecision in the Netherlands that had threatened to embarrass Nato and stall peacekeeping efforts.
One hundred and thirty one of the 150 MPs – many representing the three largest political factions – said they backed the centre-right Dutch government’s proposal to commit up to 1,400 soldiers to the Nato mission.
Nato officials had expressed concern that a No vote by the Dutch would slow down the roll-out of the operation, which is set to take place during the first six months of the year.
It could also have embarrassed Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato secretary-general and former Dutch foreign minister, who has identified Afghanistan as Nato’s most important mission.
“Of course we welcome this decision,” said a Nato spokesman. “We are glad that the Dutch parliament has confirmed the government’s decision to go forward. What we have done in Afghanistan up to now is a success. This decision will help us reinforce the success.”
The expansion to the south of the country will be spearheaded by 3,300 British troops, as well as 2,200 Canadians, but the Dutch contingent was seen as a key part of the operation, for both symbolic and practical reasons. The breakthrough came as Wouter Bos, leader of PvdA, the Labour opposition, told parliament all but one of his 42-member parliamentary party supported the mission, which also had the support of the Christian Democrats and liberal VVD, the main parties of the centre-right government.
I was concerned. Perhaps there’s still a touch of life in NATO yet.