Netherlands to Send Additional Troops to Afghanistan Amid Deteriorating Security Situation

The Netherlands will send an extra 200 troops to Afghanistan due to the worsening security situation in the south of the country, where the Dutch government had agreed to deploy 1,200-1,400 soldiers for reconstruction efforts. The move comes despite criticism from lawmakers who opposed the deployment, citing the high risk of violence and potential exposure to combat duty. The Dutch military intelligence service MIVD reports a deteriorating security situation, with Taliban forces launching dozens of attacks against ISAF forces, Afghan troops, and government ministers since the start of the year.

Key Takeaways:

• The Netherlands will send an additional 200 troops to Afghanistan, bumping up the Dutch contingent to 1,400 to 1,600 by the end of the summer, and potentially peaking at 2,000 when the country takes over control of ISAF's Kandahar headquarters in November.
• The security situation in Afghanistan has seriously deteriorated, with Taliban forces launching dozens of attacks against ISAF forces, Afghan troops, and government ministers since the start of the year.
• The Dutch government had initially secured assurances from NATO that troops would not be involved in combat duty, but the deteriorating security situation and increasing threat from Taliban forces have led to a reevaluation of the mission.
• The additional 200 troops will be deployed to the Uruzgan province, one of the most volatile provinces in the country.
• The Dutch government plans to provide more protection for its troops, including additional armored personnel carriers, heavy self-propelled artillery, and unmanned surveillance aircraft.
• The additional measures are expected to increase the costs of the operation by about $120 million, bringing total expenditure to almost $500 million.
• Despite the grim security reports, Defence Minister Henk Kamp believes the mission can succeed and that the Dutch military is capable of carrying out the task well.

*_left-wing lawmakers want parliament to debate the new situation in Uruzgan and have questioned the nature of the mission, which they claim is no longer just a reconstruction effort.

Statistics:

• 200 additional troops will be sent to Afghanistan to augment the Dutch contingent in Uruzgan province.
• The Dutch contingent will consist of 1,400 to 1,600 soldiers by the end of the summer.
• The total expenditure for the operation is expected to increase to almost $500 million, with an additional $120 million attributed to the new measures to boost troop protection.
• NATO plans to increase its overall troop levels from 7,000 to 16,000 by the fall.
• The majority of the new soldiers will be stationed in the south and east of the central Asian state, where the bulk of the country's opium trade is centered and al-Qaida and Taliban forces are increasingly active.

Sources:

• Radio Netherlands Web site
• MIVD report (no date mentioned in the original text)
• NATO plans to increase troop levels (no specific date mentioned)
• The Dutch government agreed to deploy 1,200-1,400 soldiers in February (no specific date mentioned)