Afghan police training mission could be expanded, says Rutte

Prime minister Mark Rutte says there are ‘opportunities’ to expand the current Dutch mission to train police officers in the Afghan province of Kunduz.


The prime minister was speaking during a surprise visit to the Dutch mission to the northern province.
‘There is an opportunity to expand the mission by training border police and civil police officials outside the city,’ Rutte told the Volkskrant. ‘We are going to discuss this step by step with parliament,’ the prime minister said, adding that this is a sensitive subject.
Debate
Last year, parliament voted narrowly in favour of sending a 545-strong mission to Kunduz, including 225 police trainers. The Netherlands pulled out of the Nato military mission to Afghanistan a year ago.
The support of the left-wing greens Groenlinks was crucial in winning backing for the mission, which is opposed by the government’s alliance partner, the anti-Islam PVV, and the Labour party.
Last month, the Volkskrant reported the mission has cost €105m so far, and 189 Afghan police officers have gone or are going through the training programme.

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