THE HAGUE, 12 June 2004 — The Dutch government said yesterday it plans to keep around 1,300 troops in Iraq until March 2005 as part of a multinational force in a boost to the US-led coalition overseeing a transfer of power to Iraqis.
The decision by Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s government to renew the mandate for its troops to stay in Iraq is expected to be put to the lower house of parliament for approval within two weeks. It is expected to gain approval.
“The government has decided today to extend the Dutch military contribution to the multinational forces in Iraq for a period of eight months (from mid-July 2004 until mid-March 2005),” the Foreign Ministry said.
Dutch troops have been based at Samawa in southern Iraq since July 2003 with a mandate to help with reconstruction and to provide security and stability in a region where Japan has sent 550 non-combat troops to help rebuild the country. The United States, which has faced a reduction in the size of its military coalition amid continued violence in Iraq, had said it hoped other nations would keep their troops there after June 30.
