New mission to Afghanistan

Less than a year after discord over the Afghanistan issue led to the collapse of the previous government, the Netherlands is preparing to send a new mission to the country. "Work on a compromise has begun," headlines Trouw. Liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte has agreed to conditions stipulated by the "smaller opposition parties" (Green Left, Democrats 66 and Christian Union) for their support. The government does not benefit from a majority on the issue, which is a bone of contention with its populist allies. According to the daily, the opposition insists that the mission (which will station a 545 strong contingent in the country for a three-year period) should not involve combat troops and be restricted to the training of Afghan police and soldiers, who are to follow a curriculum that includes "literacy, human rights and legal" modules. The question of how the mission is to be financed has yet to be settled. The government wants the funding to come from the Netherlands’ budget for humanitarian aid, while the opposition insists it should be provided by the department of defence.