Posted on 11/13/2004 11:30:14 AM PST by Ginifer
Dutch authorities have confirmed that the country will withdraw its 1,350-contingent from Iraq in March next year.
Police and security forces in Iraq will have to guarantee peace in the region alone, the Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said.
The Netherlands first sent troops to Iraq in August 2003 and won parliamentary approval this summer to extend their stay until March 2005.
Iraq's interim administration wants to hold elections in January despite mounting violence, and the Netherlands has come under increasing US and British pressure to keep its troops there after March.
Nice going there pals! Once again showing the terrorists that you remain strong in this battle against fascism!
Hip hip hoora!!
A two-faced story. Pick what you want!!
They must need their troops to kiss some Muslem ass right at home :)
Better reassign them to Rotterdam.
Kiss, or kick?
Makes perfect sense. They need the troops to fight Mooslims at home.
I meant kick. Doh! And I spelled Muslim wrong, too!
so we should dog them for helping and honoring their commitment? Why should they stay indefinately?
Sorry. Thought you meant kiss.
Obviously, despite the terrorist murder of one of their leading citizens in Mr. Van Gogh, the country's leadership still doesn't get it.
I bet the citizens of The Netherlands are getting pretty peeved about now. The little Dutch boy might be thinking about why his leaders still have their heads up France's butt.
I guess they read Osama's memo, don't get in my way and I won't hurt you promise.Some people always think that collaboration works.I guess that's what they teach in school,now.They always forget to add:DO NOT COLLABORATE WITH A BULLY YOU WILL DIE REGETTING IT!
Why did they go in the first place? If you are going to commit, then stay until the job's done or don't go at all. It sends the wrong message to the wrong people. It tells the murders that our will to fight can be constricted by governmental largess.
I think the little Dutch Boy had best take his finger out of the leak in the dike and stick it up his...in his ear!
Just being polite! LOL
LOL - that's the problem - they already have it stuck where the sun don't shine. Leaving Iraq gives them more cuddle time at home in their own foxholes.
Is that the way you treat friends who can spend all weekend helping you move or helping you paint the house but are willing to work for several hours? Do you tell them to either come for the full deal or stay at home? Me? I'll be thankfull that for their limited contribution.
But that's me.
Is that the way you treat friends who can spend all weekend helping you move or helping you paint the house but are willing to work for several hours? Do you tell them to either come for the full deal or stay at home? Me? I'll be thankfull that for their limited contribution.
But that's me.
I don't think that those several rounds of coitus interruptus in Fallujah over the past year did much to embolden our allies.
I suggest you don't assume. Of course I am thankful for their contribution, but in the end I have to ask if it's really worth it if it's going embolden the terrorists even more.
I don't think, by the way, that an analogy of painting a house works so well in comparison to greater struggles of life and death for thousands. But that's just me.
I also suggest that you re-read the last sentence of post 14.
The analogy works fine.
The Netherlands never signed on for 'until the job is done', but for a specific time and even extended. So they will go home when their 'contract' expires. So what?
They aren't leaving. They are staying until they said they would.
According to your post we'd been better off without them at all.
And the analogy is just fine. I'm not one to trivialize what is going on in Iraq; I have as good of an idea as anyone on FR.
Clearly we've both said our minds. I suggest we leave it at that.
Regards,
"Norman"
Appeasement won't mean a thing to terrorists entrenched in the Netherlands. This buys the govt. a few days to what? Figure out how to give in to the next demand and the next? Meanwhile, the best and brightest citizens are hastily packing and leaving the country.
I agree. We're thankful the Dutch pledged men and support, but worried that the reason they're leaving has less to do with principles and more to do with appeasement. But if troops are needed to protect the homeland...of course we wish them Godspeed and good luck.
They're there now. Most are not.
I'd like to see them keep at least a small token of their military there, to share the risk of retributive terrorism with the other members of the anti terror coalition.
Thanks for the help boys.Now go home and kick some a$$.
Ooooorrraaaahhhh!!!!
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