Nato on Saturday repeated its request that the Netherlands stay longer in Afghanistan despite the government’s collapse, news agency ANP reports.

A spokesman for secretary general Anders Rasmussen said that Nato recognised that the issue was the subject of discussion in the Netherlands and did not wish to get involved.
‘But the secretary general still considers that the best way forward for a smaller Dutch presence is a provincial reconstruction team in Uruzgan,’ the spokesman said.
And he stressed that the people of Afghanistan must remain confident that Nato will continue to protect them.
Withdrawal
The collapse of the government means the mission to Uruzgan, due to end in August 2010, will not be extended, in line with Bos’s wishes.
Caretaker governments are not supposed to take controversial decisions and it is doubtful whether there is majority parliamentary support for a continuation, albeit to train local forces.
But the Dutch pull-out is likely to significantly impact on the Netherlands’ reputation in international circles.
According to US media reports, president Barack Obama is disappointed with the Dutch situation. He had fought hard for a temporary increase in soldiers in Afghanistan.