Richard Holbrooke, the United States Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, says he is disappointed about the Dutch decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Speaking in Berlin, he said he had heard the news with great sadness.

Following the collapse of the Dutch government over the issue of troop withdrawal last week, the Netherlands' soldiers will begin to leave Uruzgan province in August. All 1600 troops will have departed by December.

Mr Holbrooke said the Dutch troops had performed an excellent job in the province. He added that it was disappointing to see how such a decision had come about and that he hoped there might still be a change to it.