By Lennert Breuker 

I recently blogged on the intentions of the Dutch cabinet to send a new mission to Afghanistan. Although I am strongly in favor of a sustained effort to support the reconstruction of the country, I lamented the lack of a genuine, thorough debate when it concerns decisions like these involving matters as war and peace. With for instance a virtually automatic support for the illegal invasion of Iraq as a result.

And also this time there were signals that warranted a critical scrutiny of the American request to send a police trainings mission, as the opinion of political activist Sytse Bosgra suggested. However, his claim that the Dutch would be training Afghan policemen who would subsequently also be deployed in combat situations without adequate armor, weapons and training found no resonance at all in the explanatory document that accompanied the decision of the cabinet. It spoke of the training of ‘civil police’ that stand ‘closest to the Afghan people’, and quite predictably of building a rule of law.

It may have led some – or maybe many – to believe that Bosgra’s account was a bit far-fetched. I even recall the comment of an editor of the same journal that published Bosgra’s opinion, that Bosgra engaged in leftish conspiracy thinking. Which cannot be excluded of course.

But neither can it be corroborated. Particularly after monday’s parliamentary hearings which revealed information that directly supported the core of his contentions. Afghan officials, an NGO representative and classified Dutch military intelligence reports affirmed that Afghan police would be deployed in combat situations if deemed desirable.     Continue reading →

By Lennert Breuker

The Dutch cabinet is currently considering participation in a new mission in Afghanistan. Dutch media are reporting that this time the mission would entail the sending of a contingent of police officers – approximately 350 – to serve as trainers for the Afghan police forces. Whether the cabinet will succeed in generating sufficient political support for the mission is still unclear. A majority in parliament does not support further participation in combat missions, and would only be open to initiatives aimed at reconstruction efforts. It is thus likely that the trainings mission will be framed in terms of reconstructing part of the executive branch essential for a functioning government, namely the police. Which indeed comes across as a legitimate goal.

Such a portrayal of the mission might obscure the fact that the Dutch will be asked to co-operate with a US policy worth a critical scrutiny at the least, as a recently published opinion of political activist Sietse Bosgra in a major daily journal suggested.

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By Otto Spijkers

One of my favorite topics to think about is the place of the individual in the world. It seems I am not the only one who does so. In fact, in her 2009 Christmas address, the Queen of the Netherlands warned ‘her’ people about the increasing individualism in Dutch society. According to our Queen, there is a real danger that the Dutch are slowly alienating themselves from the local community, from the warm bonds of neighborliness, and instead turn into isolated, cynical, and cold-hearted individuals. And the social networks on the internet (Facebook, Hyves, etc.) only accelerate this process, said the Queen, because they replace ‘real’ connections with ‘unreal’, or virtual connections.

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By Tobias Thienel

Okay, this may be a little facile, and it’s definitely not what the Committee has said, but witness these statements in the official announcement (CNN video here, transcript here; emphasis in the following mine):

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Now if only Mr Bush could be reached for comment…

By Otto Spijkers

To celebrate 400 years of enduring friendship between the Netherlands and the United States, the Netherlands government has made a website called NY400 (there is also a Dutch version), with lots of info on the relationship between the Netherlands and the United States of America. It is worth a look.

In a speech of today, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs talked about this happy relationship. Just below are the most interesting parts of his speech (in my opinion that is).

First on the topic of shared paper:

Let me share a historical fact with you that amazed me when I first learned about it. Did you know that the paper on which the Declaration of Independence was printed in 1776 is of Dutch origin? I had no idea. But the ‘broadsides’ John Dunlap used to print his famous copies of the Declaration on the night of the fourth of July were made around 1770 in the Zaanstreek in Holland. This is one of history’s remarkable little details that points to a much broader historical connection between the United States and the Netherlands.

Then on the topic of shared history:

In 1609, Henry Hudson and his crew landed on the shores of what is now Manhattan. The first Dutch settlers followed in his wake. New York City’s street names and flag still bear witness to their early presence.

And finally on the topic of shared values:

The spirit of American society can partly be traced back to Dutch immigrants, who brought with them open-mindedness, tolerance, an enterprising spirit, free trade, a good work ethic and a strong belief in freedom of speech and freedom of religion. In those early years, many minority groups lived alongside each other. They had the freedom to maintain their own identity and practise their religion, as long as they worked hard and contributed to the greater good. It was a model that worked well for New Amsterdam, with its diverse population. It made New York the cosmopolitan city it is today.

Respect for diversity, freedom of speech and freedom of religion are deeply rooted in American society, which truly reflects those potent words of the Founding Fathers: all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. Some historians argue that Thomas Jefferson and his fellow drafters drew inspiration from the Dutch Act of Abjuration, written some two centuries earlier. I wouldn’t go as far as to claim copyright, but it’s interesting to see the historic parallels between our two nations.

The values that have united Americans and Dutch people since the early days continue to direct our friendship today. Both our peoples have a strong belief in tolerance, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. We seek to uphold these values at home and abroad and we do so together.