A possible extension of the Dutch ISAF mission in Afghanistan has prompted negative reactions in the lower house.

Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, speaking to BNR radio, suggested that the scheduled withdrawal of Dutch forces from Uruzgan in 2010 may have to be reconsidered. "I wonder whether we can offload everything onto other countries. We can't say, let the others do it, it's not our affair anymore," Mr Verhagen said.

The governing Labour Party, jointly with opposition Socialist Party and conservative VVD, said they do not want the Dutch Afghanistan mission to be continued after 2010. They say Mr Verhagen's comments constitute an invitation to other NATO countries to keep relying on the Netherlands. The previous mission was extended by four years because no other country was prepared to take over the Dutch tasks.

Idiotic statements
Labour MP Martijn van Dam says the Dutch armed forces are not up to yet another demanding mission. Conservative MP Atzo Nicolai says that the Foreign Minister made "idiotic statements" which contradict an earlier promise by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's cabinet not to undertake another major mission in Afghanistan after next year.

The Netherlands contributes approximately 1700 personnel to ISAF. To date, 21 Dutch servicemen have been killed in Afghanistan.