NATO has asked the Netherlands to extend its military mission in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province for another year. The Dutch are being asked to train Afghan personnel.

The request was made in a letter from NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. The letter praised the quality of the Dutch mission saying it was an example to others.

Staying on in Uruzgan is a sensitive issue as the original mission is due to end later this year and the Labour Party, a member of the ruling coalition, says it is unthinkable that Dutch soldiers should remain beyond this.

The mission has already been extended once and the government pledged troops would be withdrawn when the present mandate expires.

However, Labour MP Martijn van Dam says his party may support the training of Afghan engineers or medical personnel on a small scale. Whether Dutch soldiers would be needed to guarantee the security of such a mission would be a question for the ministry of defence.
 

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