Tuesday's presentation of the findings of the Davids Commission, tasked with investigating how the Dutch government of the day arrived at its decision to support the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, could determine the future of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

In the run-up to the invasion, Jan Peter Balkenende was heading a caretaker government that decided to limit Dutch involvement to providing political support. The invasion was not supported by a UN mandate and classified government documents published by the Dutch press last month revealed that officials had warned the government of the day that the legal justification for the invasion was very slim indeed.
 

Unless the commission resolves all doubts about the level of Dutch support, the lower house will in all likelihood demand a full parliamentary enquiry. One of the main questions that many people hope the Davids Commission will answer is whether the cabinet fully informed the lower house about the Netherlands' involvement in Iraq.

Rumours about the involvement of Dutch special forces and intelligence operatives have been circulating since the invasion and if they prove to be true, it could lead to the prime minister's resignation. So far, there have been 15 debates on the issue but Mr Balkenende has managed to block every attempt to hold an official enquiry. However, the Labour Party, part of the tri-party coalition government, says it will support calls for a full parliamentary enquiry if the Davids Commission fails to provide clear answers to all questions that need to be answered.