Dutch mission in Afghanistan threatened

[Dimentio]

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/02/19/netherlands.cabinet/index.html

The collapse of the Dutch government seems to have put the future of the involvement of the Netherlands into question. Moreover, the entire Afghanistan issue could very well be the beginning of the end of NATO as an alliance.

No matter what, Iran could not replace the Soviet Union as a threat. Not all NATO countries have the same national interests. At the end, small contradictions would probably grow over time and eventually mean that NATO cease to be an efficient organisation.

[Q]

The collapse of the Dutch government seems to have put the future of the involvement of the Netherlands into question.

It's de facto over. The current cabinet is outgoing and thus won't be able to make such decisions anymore. Another possibility is that Christian-Democrats and Christian Union continue as a minority cabinet, but in this case there won't be a majority for continuing either.

[~Spectre]

It's amazing when you think about it, how for a moment it seemed as if the U.S.'s insane neocon line was going to succeed. Iraq and Afghanistan were toppled in swift dominating victories, Iran was surrounded. I can only imagine the avaricious grins of the the Washington D.C. planners during this time.

Flash forward a few years, and you know have demonstrable proof that the United States cannot militarily control Iraq's oil without the help of Iran (and even then stability still isn't really there yet). You have an incoming president immediately surge 30,000 U.S. soldiers, thousands of NATO soldiers, and countless mercenaries into Afghanistan to prevent what the regional U.S. commander described as possible "mission failure".

Between the failed coup Chavez for Venezuela's oil, and the evidence provided by the disastrous war crimes perpetuated on Iraq and Afghanistan (as well as Pakistan and other places), the world has abundant proof that the old ways of doing things really aren't cutting it anymore.

Adding NATO to the list would be icing.

[Das war einmal]

A small victory against imperialism, the fact that the Dutch government collapsed under the weight of different oppertunistic desires; the social-dems knew very well that they could not afford another change of opinion and considering they are doing so poorly in the polls probably made them realize there is nothing more to gain to continue and nothing to lose by leaving.

However this works out just fine; the troops will be returning at the end of the year, maybe some other EU countries will follow this example.