International

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel has to his astonishment learnt of the existence of an American telegram dated 24th February, which was passed to state broadcasting news service NOS by Wikileaks. The telegram reveals that on the day that the last government fell, Karel van Oostrom, a close adviser to then prime minister Jan-Pieter Balkenende, informed the PM that he would make ‘discreet contact ‘ with the US government and with NATO with the aim of making possible a renewed Dutch mission in Afghanistan. ‘The Afghanistan mission now being presented turns out to be an American idea. The mission appears to be a copy of the plan that the Americans cooked up together with the last government. Otherwise, you’d have to attribute the American Embassy diplomat with almost prophetic powers.’

On 24th February 2010, four days after the fall of the last government, a US diplomat wrote that the Dutch could be expected in the future to provide training in Afghanistan via ‘Operational Mentoring en Liaison Teams (OMLT)’ and ‘Police Mentoring Teams’ (PMT). The diplomat also stated that the Netherlands would be able to offer air support as well as intelligence capacity and staff for the headquarters.

On 24th February 2010, four days after the fall of the last government, a US diplomat wrote that the Dutch could be expected in the future to provide training in Afghanistan via ‘Operational Mentoring en Liaison Teams (OMLT)’ and ‘Police Mentoring Teams’ (PMT). The diplomat also stated that the Netherlands would be able to offer air support as well as intelligence capacity and staff for the headquarters.