Nieuws van de afdeling

3 May 2011

Government must reject use of depleted uranium weapons

SP Member of Parliament Jasper van Dijk describes himself as ‘outraged’ by the government’s position on depleted uranium (DU) weapons. On hearing reports that the US Air Force has used DU munitions in Libya, the SP’s parliamentary group in The Hague asked the government to supply further information. At the same time the party is urging the imposition of an international moratorium to put a stop to the use of DU weapons. ‘It’s extremely regrettable that the Dutch government doesn’t want to put an end to this insane type of weapon,’ says Van Dijk.

2 May 2011

On the death of Bin Laden

Early this morning American soldiers raided the villa where Osama bin Laden was in hiding and killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, bringing an end to a search of almost ten years for the man behind the attacks of 11th September. Anyone who has been touched by the pictures from the United States can see how these attacks traumatised American society. Understandable enough, because I too can still see clearly the pictures of the aeroplanes hitting the World Trade Center in New York.

2 May 2011

‘Death of Bin Laden has mostly symbolic significance’

‘With the death of Osama bin Laden an important symbol of terrorism has ceased to be, and I can well imagine the joy of many Americans. On the other hand, we must wait and see what this means for the fight against terrorism,’ says SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel. ‘There are after all many groups which feel an affinity for Al Qaida or which operate under that name.’

23 April 2011

Kunduz – conditions placed on Green Left’s support have not been fulfilled

'The conditions that the Green Left parliamentary group has imposed on its support for a police training mission to the Afghan province of Kunduz are far from having been fulfilled,’ says SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel. Foreign affairs spokesman Van Bommel bases his assertion on the results of a detailed investigation carried out by his party’s research department. ‘If Green Left votes next week to support participation in this mission, its credibility will be blown,’ he adds.

22 April 2011

SP Senator Tiny Kox on working visit to Tunis: Libyan war menacing Tunisian revolution

‘Tunisia is continuing to build peacefully on its revolution. On 24th July the Tunisian people will go to the polling booths for their very first free elections. But the war in Libya threatens the progress made in Tunisia. Large numbers of refugees, little trade and falling tourism mean that the economy is in a wretched state. And that also carries political risks.’ This was how SP Senator Tiny Kox, president of the United European Left in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) summarised the situation in Tunisia. As part of a Council of Europe delegation which included the heads of each of the PACE political groups, Kox this week visited the country where in January the Arab Spring began with the forcing out of the dictator Ben Ali after twenty-three years of rule.

20 April 2011

Euro-MPs to investigate Niger Delta issue

The meeting at the European Parliament

International