The three main political parties – Christian Democrats (CDA), Labour (PvdA) and Liberals (VVD) – want the parliamentary debate on allegations that Dutch soldiers tortured Iraqi prisoners, to be held after Wednesday’s election. They argue that the issue is too important to be turned into political capital.

Defence minister Henk Kamp has set up an investigation into the claims, made in the Volkskrant on Friday. The Netherland’s most senior military official, general Dick Berlijn, told tv programmane Buitenhof on Sunday that he did not rule out the inquiry turning up other dubious incidents but denied that torture had been used.
The Volkskrant claimed prisoners had been blindfolded, subject to high-pitched tones and soaked with water to keep them awake.