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Dutch Oppose Extending Afghan Mission
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The idea of extending a military deployment in Afghanistan is not attractive to people in the Netherlands, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond. 70 per cent of respondents oppose continuing the mission in Uruzgan after 2010.
Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden without evidence of his participation in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
At least 1,418 soldiers—including 21 Dutch—have died in the war on terrorism, either in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Dutch voters renewed the Second Chamber in November 2006. The governing Christian-Democratic Appeal (CDA)—led by current minister president Jan Peter Balkenende—secured 41 out of 150 seats. In February 2007, a coalition encompassing the CDA, the Labour Party (PvdA) of Wouter Bos, and the Christian Union (CU) of Andre Rouvouet was assembled.
In November 2007, the Dutch cabinet agreed on the continuation of the military mission in Afghanistan until 2010. Nearly 2,000 Dutch soldiers are currently deployed in Afghanistan, most of them in the southern Uruzgan province.
On Sept. 23, Dutch foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen declared that the government "cannot rule out" an extension to the mission in Afghanistan beyond 2010.
On Oct. 2, Verhagen asked Dutch lawmakers—who are expected to vote on an extension in the next few days—to keep "an open mind" and said a departure from Uruzgan could have a "snowball effect" on the other countries that have committed soldiers to the Afghanistan mission.
Polling Data
Foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen has indicated that the Netherlands might continue the mission to Uruzgan after 2010. Do you support or oppose this?
|
Support |
21% |
|
Oppose |
70% |
|
Not sure |
9% |
Source: Maurice de Hond
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Dutch adults, conducted on Sept. 24, 2009. No margin of error was provided.
