The Dutch Lower House is debating a cabinet proposal to send 545 servicemen to Afghanistan on a police training mission.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte's minority cabinet is having trouble finding enough support for the proposal.

Two parties whose support is crucial, the Christian Union and Green Left, are expected to question the viability of the plan and are likely to express serious doubts about the security situation in Kunduz, where most of the trainers and soldiers would be based.

Less than half of the men and women who would go to Kunduz province are police trainers, the others are military personnel who would protect the instructors. MPs are concerned that Taliban attacks could turn the training mission into a fighting mission.

Dutch troops were involved in a four-year international mission in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province until August last year.

In Wednesday's debate, four government ministers will defend the proposal and answer questions from MPs. This follows a hearing on Tuesday when parliament questioned representatives of the Afghan government, the Dutch military and independent experts. The decision won't be made until after another debate on Thursday.

(rk/ae/imm)

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