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Nieuws uit 2008

18 April 2008

Not for the first time, SP Senators demand openness on Iraq

On Tuesday the SP made the latest of its many attempts to force the government into the open over the Netherlands' support for the war in Iraq. SP Senator Arjan Vliegenthart, together with fellow opposition senators from the centrist party D66 and the Green Left, tabled thirty-nine questions concerning the government's decision-making process in relation to the war. "Unless we can reconstruct that process we will not be able to draw an lessons from what happened," said Senator Vliegenthart. "That would represent a risk for the future."

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18 April 2008

Joint Strike Fighter: Taxpayers forced to stump up twice

SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen says she is "astonished" by the refusal by a number of corporations to return part of the proceeds from the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to the state. This not only breaks agreements made in the past, but it is essential that the industry as a single bloc takes responsibility for repayment of the state's mega-investment. "The firms are evidently happy to trade under the motto 'profits for us, losses for you'," says Van Velzen, defence spokeswoman for the SP. "The burden has now for the most part to be borne by the taxpayers, who still haven't seen any sign of this ridiculously expensive fighter plane."

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17 April 2008

SP warns of "new division" of Europe as Merkel addresses Parliamentary Assembly

NATO and Russia must meet much more often if tensions in Europe are to be nipped in the bud. One meeting in the last six years is simply not enough, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, guest this week of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Merkel stated her views in response to a question from SP Senate leader Tiny Kox, on the threat of a new division of Europe.

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16 April 2008

‭‘‬Ambassador against animal tests‭' ‬sent packing

‬Professor Thomas Hartung,‭ ‬head of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Test Methods‭ (‬ECVAM‭) ‬appears to have been shown the door.‭ ‬SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard is calling on the European Commission‭ “‬to either give some clarification on this‭ ‬or speak out against it.‭”

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15 April 2008

Authoritarian Belorus must move quickly

The authoritarian regime in Belorus must move quickly if it wants to end its isolation from Europe, said SP Senator Tiny Kox in today's debate in Strasbourg at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Belorus is currently the only country excluded from participation in the Council of Europe.

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15 April 2008

Talking with the Taliban No Longer Taboo

Talking with the Taliban in Afghanistan is no longer taboo for the Dutch government. Although Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende distanced himself from the idea during the government debate on the issue, Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop did not follow his lead in today's defence policy debate in the Senate. Although avoiding using the word 'negotiations', he did not dismiss attempts to divide sections of the Taliban from the movement's hard core by means of talks, and in this way to look for a solution to the conflict. The minister said as much in his answer to suggestions from SP Senator Arjan Vliegenthart, tabled with the support also of Senator Frank van Kappen of the centre-right opposition Liberals, the VVD. Van Middelkoop insisted, however, that the initiative for any such talks must be taken by the Afghan government.

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