[Le Temps, Switzerland]
NRC Handelsblad,
The Netherlands
Can The Netherlands Ignore Mr. Obama's Afghanistan Request?
"Obama's
appeal to his allies to send more troops to Afghanistan implies increased
pressure on The Netherlands not to pull its troops from Uruzgan Province ... NATO partners who have more or less risky
missions in Afghanistan have certainly not been encouraged to relieve the Dutch."
EDITORIAL
Translated By Meta
Mertens
December 3, 2009
The Netherlands - NRC Handelsblad - Original
Article (Dutch)
For three months,
President Obama has chewed on plans for Afghanistan. Until it became known last
night where, in his final analysis, the now eight-year-old war will lead. In the
next six months, the United States will increase its forces in southern and
eastern Afghanistan by 30,000 troops. The allies are expected to add an
additional 8,000 troops. In other words, the total force will rise to 140,000
soldiers. But not for long. Iraq appears to be the example for Obama. In July
2011, the first Americans will return home.
That's not a lot
of time. But the ambitions for the intervening 18 months are great. During this
period it isn't only the rise of the Taliban - the "momentum" of the
rebels - that must be brought to a halt. The regular Afghan army must also be trained
and strong enough to take responsibility of the future. President Karzai has been
warned. He can no longer count on a "blank check" with which he can
keep himself and his corrupt power structure in the saddle.
Unlike his
predecessor, Obama restricted his speech to the cadets of the military academy
in West Point by excluding hooray patriotism. His tone was one of concern.
He acknowledged that the intervention is threatened with failure. Echoing the words
of General McChrystal, he even said that the status quo is untenable without
renewed effort. Obama admitted that it's intolerable to spend another $30
billion while his own people are suffering through the greatest economic crisis
in eighty years. And the President referred explicitly to Vietnam.
He said the comparisons
with that fiasco don't hold because, unlike the current war in Afghanistan, Vietnam
wasn't supported by a broad coalition of 43 countries and wasn't waged to
stifle terrorist attacks on America.
Nevertheless, his
strategy raises questions. Afghanistan was home to al-Qaeda. That threat has fanned
out to Pakistan and other "failed states" farther afield. Terrorists tend
not to adhere to borders. How will the U.S. resist this mobility? Obama
remained vague on other important points as well. Whether he can pay for this
extra commitment with regular taxes is uncertain. Whether the withdrawal will
be substantial or just symbolic in nature also remains unclear.
It remains a “big
test” as Obama said. But it's clear now that what he wants is containment. The
plan to create in Afghanistan a modern state has been dropped. That's not a
defeat. England and the Soviet Union learned the same lesson before. Running
away isn't an option, either. Besides, that isn't possible. The Soviet Union
took about three years. He didn’t mention the word, but Obama has essentially opted
for an exit strategy.
And that's wise.
All the more so, because this exit strategy isn't only militarily but will have
clearly political dimensions as well. It remains a gamble. However, it's the
only option after eight years of falling down and getting back up.
… and in Uruzgan Province
Obama’s appeal to
his allies to send more troops to Afghanistan implies increased pressure on The
Netherlands not to pull its troops from Uruzgan Province. This
is the "moment of decision" spoken of by Prime Minister Balkenende.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Earlier this
year, the Dutch government through Foreign Minister Verhagen, gave the
impression that it wasn't entirely rejecting a second extension of the mission
in Uruzgan. However, with his extreme cautiousness, he cut himself with his own
hands. NATO partners who have more or less risky
missions in Afghanistan have certainly not been encouraged to relieve the Dutch.
Verhagen's
comments led to a quarrel in the cabinet and a motion in Parliament by
coalition partners the Christian Union and the PDVA.
The motion, which
was supported by the SP, VVD, Groenlinks, PVV, PvdD and MP Verdonk said, “The
cabinet should stick to its earlier decision to pull out all Dutch troops from
Uruzgan by December 1, 2010.” The motion also says that The Netherlands would
not assume any new missions in Uruzgan after 2010.
Those are
political facts, although the government hasn't officially announced whether
they will abide by the motion. But it appears that Defense Minister Van will do
so today in an interview with The Nederlands Dagblad.
He is quoted as
saying, “The mission ends in August. I now have a better view: all men and women
of the Uruzgan Task Force will probably already be home by September.” That is
clear language, although as far as Afghanistan is concerned, it remains to be
seen if a minister can speak on behalf of the cabinet.
And yet, the cabinet
and Parliament cannot ignore a request from the American president. And while
Dutch activities in Afghanistan are far from limited to Uruzgan, The Netherland's
position as a leading nation in this southern province will be the central
issue. Politically, such a leading role is out of the question, which also reveals
a weakness within NATO. Neither with the initial decision to temporarily deploy
Dutch troops to Uruzgan, nor with the decision to temporarily extend the
mission, was there a partner in sight that could take over the Dutch role.
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Rceczpospolita, Poland:
Afghanistan: Poland Should Remain 'Until the End'
Frontier Post, Pakistan:
CIA's Taliban Proxies Will Never Snatch Pakistan's Nukes!
La Stampa, Italy:
Obama Must Finish Bush's Work or 'Marginalize' the West
DNA, France:
To America or France,
Sarkozy Must
Break His Commitment
Le Monde, France:
Nicolas Sarkozy's 'Neither-Nor' on the Afghan Surge
Berliner Zeitung, Germany:
Obama's Hope is All
Afghanistan Has Left
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia:
NATO Still 'Clueless' About What to Do Next
Liberation, France:
Obama's Hesitation on Afghanistan May Cost Him Dearly
The Nation, Pakistan :
Obama's Speech:
'Servility' Toward
U.S. Has its Limits
The Frontier Post, Pakistan:
America Reveals Dark Side of the Human Intellect
Asia Times, Hong Kong:
China Maps
End to the Afghanistan War
Gazeta, Russia:
U.S. and Russia Share Responsibility for 'Afghan Anthill'
The case to
extend the Dutch presence in Uruzgan will be that it would be a sin to loose accrued
expertise and that non-governmental organizations would then leave as well. However,
that argument was already known, if not anticipated the moment that The
Netherlands decided to participate in the international force. This is not an
invalid point.
It is therefore obvious
that The Netherlands will lay down its leading role in Uruzgan, but will
maintain a small force that can contribute to the continuity of the strategy it
has pursued there.
CLICK HERE FOR DUTCH VERSION
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US, Dec. 9, 8:50pm
