Cabinet moves forward on Afghan training mission

The cabinet is moving forward with plans to send soldiers and police officers to Afghanistan to help train locals, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday.


Sources say 50 police trainers and up to 300 soldiers could be sent out. Northern Afghanistan, where German and Belgian forces are active, is seen as the likely destination.
The new mission will be for a year, perhaps longer, the paper said.
Parliament
Prime minister Mark Rutte wants a clear position from parliament before the Nato summit in Lisbon on November 19 and 20.
The minority coalition of VVD and CDA hope for support from the D66 Liberals and left-wing greens Groenlinks. The cabinet’s silent partner in the coalition, the anti-Islam PVV, is opposed to any involvement in Afghanistan, as is the SP.
Labour is an uncertain factor. The previous government collapsed when Labour refused to agree to extending the Dutch mission to Afghanistan, which ended in August.

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