Dutch cabinet falls over Afghan row

The Netherlands' coalition government has collapsed after the two largest parties failed to agree on whether to withdraw Dutch troops from Afghanistan later this year, as had been planned.

The cabinet of Jan Peter Balkenende, the prime minister, fell apart on Saturday following 16 hours of talks, Dutch media reported.

Balkenende's center-right Christian Democrat CDA, the bigger partner in the coalition, had suggested keeping a reduced force in Afghanistan for a year past the August 2010 deadline.

That was met with opposition by its coalition partner the Labor Party of Wouter Bos, the deputy prime minister.

The Dutch mission, based in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, began in August 2006. Since then 21 Dutch soldiers have been killed there.

As NATO forces in Afghanistan step up their efforts against the Taliban, it has asked the Netherlands to "investigate the possibilities and desirability of a longer stay in Afghanistan" for its 2,000 troops.

The Balkenende government took office three years ago.

An election could threaten Dutch attempts to cope with the global financial crisis.

If an election is held before the unveiling of next year's budget in September, it would effectively nullify an existing agreement to hold off any austerity steps until 2011.

Source: Al-Jazeera.
Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/02/201022033131334896.html.