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Bad day for Netherlands, now Europe’s dodgy ally
Robert Fox: Dutch have opened the door to a racist prime minister and ruined their reputation in Europe
The collapse of the Netherlands' coalition government, which means the withdrawal of all 2,000 Dutch troops from Afghanistan this August, is a blow to the people of Uruzgun, where they are stationed, and to the international coalition trying to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. But for the Dutch people the stakes appear much higher.
In bringing down the coalition government, the Dutch Labour Party, led by Wouter Bos, courts disaster, for it has opened the door to Geert Wilders and his far-right Dutch Freedom Party. "I had hoped for this day for a long time and it arrived after all," Wilders said yesterday. "We can now wave the flags to celebrate."
The Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende of the Christian Democrat Alliance, had hoped to extend his country’s commitment to Nato’s effort in Afghanistan beyond August, despite the fact that most Dutch people are baffled by the Afghan mission.
Balkenende recognises that the image of the Netherlands is far from flourishing abroad. After a recent tour through Afghanistan, I would go further. The Dutch pull-out - just as the new international strategy led by General Stanley McChrystal is reaching a critical point with the launch of Operation Moshtarak - will strengthen the judgment of their harshest alliance critics that the Dutch are a nation of quitters.
The Dutch have had 1,600 combat troops plus support elements in Uruzgun province since 2006, and 21 of their service personnel have been killed there. All being well, it had been hoped to hand over one district of Uruzgun to full Afghan control by the late summer.
Now they have earned the distinction of being the first major Nato ally to pull out of Afghanistan, and at the most inconvenient moment for their principal allies there, the US, Britain, Canada and Denmark.
It is pretty clear in the field that the Dutch army wants to stay. It is still suffering from the shadow of the events at Srebrenica, the UN refugee enclave in Bosnia the Dutch were supposed to be guarding in July 1995. The Dutch garrison was swept aside by Bosnian Serb forces who then murdered between 5,000 and 7,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslim men and boys.
The Dutch have worked hard in Afghanistan to make amends. In particular their running of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the town of Tarin Kot has been hugely admired. They are credited with having done more for schooling and health care than any other PRT effort in the whole of Afghanistan.
The move by Wouter Bos, who as well as leading the Labour Party was finance minister in the outgoing coalition government, appears to be naked political opportunism. And it appears to have paid off, at least in the short term. His party’s rating has gone up in the latest opinion poll this weekend, though it remains in fifth place.
The real winner in the present turmoil is likely to be Geert Wilders, whose brand of populist Islamophobia has a huge following in the Netherlands. His motley band of followers is now challenging Balkenende's Christian Democrats for top place in the opinion polls and there is a real possibility he will be the next prime minister.
Bos has shown himself the master of the political wrecking-ball. He’s pulled down the government, opened the road to power for Wilders and his racist rabble-rousers, and, with one deft swipe, has embedded the Dutch reputation as Nato and Europe’s dodgy ally. ·
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Michael Jose
Two flaws in your argument;
1. The US supported the Taliban
2. The US supported Bin Laden
I cannot see how he is a racist? There is a clear and present danger in the Netherland from muslim migrants. Why when some groups are offended by the sign of the cross are nto racist while he is a racist for trying to protect his country?
I think Mr. Fox has attended several smart Liberal dinner parties in West London too many. Mr. Wilders is reflecting the indigenous Dutch peoples' outrage at the importation of alien races armed with a politicised hate creed. He represents an electorate that is sick of Islamic anti-semitism, hostile, anti-democratic attitudes, and the subservience of the leaders of the Dutch state with the denigration of Dutch values and ideals of positive self identity.
I do wish Mr. Fox would remove his left liberal blinkers and see that we are in the early stages of a popular revolution against the loss of our identities as separate nation states, proud of our heritage, our histories and our cultures. Our bodies and our votes are no longer the property of the state - they're ours and I for one am taking mine back. Islam in Europe better start smelling the gun smoke and looking around them because they are sitting on the top of a volcano.
QUOTE: "What threat does Afghanistan pose to The Netherlands or any other EU state? Posted by Manny Goldstein UNQUOTE. Well, the west-hating Taliban took over in Afghanistan in the late 80s after the Soviets were defeated (using US funds channelled by the late great Charlie Wilson - hoorah!), who then gave a secure and extensive base to Osama bin Laden (remember him?) and Al Quada. Then the Quadas did 9/11, remember that? Then the US wanted payback and no repeat, and they are still getting payback...is that clear now?
What threat does Afghanistan pose to The Netherlands or any other EU state?
We do have a Geert Wilders in this contry and his name is Nick Griffin MEP. How typical to patronise the Dutch people with flattery about their supposedly outstanding role in helping the unfortunate people of Afghanistan, when their troops are there primarily to protect America's energy interests and pipeline and maintain the false impression of a 'united worldwide freedom force'. The Dutch, like the British and the rest of the EU should be hammering home the point that defending our collective and independent borders from further unwanted and unrequired foreign invasion is not racist. Anyone taking the view that the world and his dog should be able to traipse into Europe demanding work, homes, benefits, or anything else come to that, is a traitor, a communist, a liar and a racist himself. Sick of it!
Biased reporting of course....totally agree with Michael Jose. Wish we had a Geert Wilders (whom the current UK government treated abominably) in the UK to speak up for us. As in the UK, the traitorous ruling elite have tried to stifle Wilders by rigging a Star Chamber court in camera & denying him witnesses in his defence...hopefully the Dutch will have the opportunity of taking their country back instead of scurrying around kowtowing to hostile aliens, as also in the UK.
Anything that enhances the position of Geert Wilders gets my vote. The presence of 2000 Dutch troops in Afghanistan is a fleabite on the overall military body there - Obama recently signed off a surge of 30,0000 extra US troopers. The Dutch can be replaced without trouble, they should stick to making coffee and diamond rings. What they need is powerful resistance to terrorists at home, not abroad.
Why does The First Post allow its columns to be manipulated by discredited warmonger Robert Fox? This alleged "news" piece is nothing more than the Bufton-Tufton rantings of a pro-war thug. There's not even a pretence at balance. Fox must be sacked.