More British troops will go to Afghanistan, because the cowardly Dutch refuse to send their own troops their because it is "too dangerous."

The British also had to replace Australian and Canadian troops, and had to bail the Americans out in Iraq.



The Sunday Times November 20, 2005

Afghan posting ‘too dangerous’ for Dutch army
Michael Smith



BRITAIN could be forced to increase the number of troops it sends to Afghanistan next spring because Dutch MPs think it is “too dangerous” to deploy their own soldiers there.

The Netherlands, which already has about 625 troops in Afghanistan, was due to provide a further force of 1,000 to be based in Uruzgan province, which stretches from the centre towards the south of the country. [/b]

But a report by the Dutch military intelligence and security service has warned of the extreme danger of operating in the area, which sources close to the country’s cabinet said “can’t be ignored”.

A Dutch withdrawal would place more of the burden on the British, who are taking over command of Nato operations next May.

British forces were originally due to provide the vast bulk of the new force in southern Afghanistan. That fell apart when plans for an early withdrawal from Iraq were shelved, forcing the British to co-opt Australian and Canadian forces as well as the Dutch.

Afghan security officials have confirmed eyewitness accounts of Arab and Chechen terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda offering money to Afghans in the south to kill or kidnap the officials or foreigners.

There have also been reports that Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists are being trained by “Arab jihadis” in techniques developed against US and British troops in Iraq.

The American force currently operating in southern Afghanistan has sought to combine nation-building — focused on two provincial reconstruction teams based in Kandahar and at Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province — with highly aggressive counter-terrorist operations.

Concern that these operations were too hostile, negating the positive effects of the reconstruction teams, has been expressed by Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai. There have been demands within Nato, in particular from France and Germany, for the force to concentrate on nation-building.

The Dutch intelligence report highlights the serious contradiction inherent in concentrating on nation- building in an area where Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces remain active.

The British-led operation in the south, spearheaded by 3 Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, will be part of an expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to cover the whole of Afghanistan.

It coincides with Britain’s assumption of command of ISAF when the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, led by Major-General David Richards, moves into Kabul. Normally based at Rheindahlen in Germany, the multinational force is 1,300 strong, including approximately 300 British troops.

About 90 American troops have been killed in southern Afghanistan in the past year amid a sharp increase in violence.

Sources at 16 Air Assault Brigade, which will provide a command element for the British paratroopers, said they are prepared for “robust and aggressive” operations against terrorists and will be backed up by 10 Apache attack helicopters and six RAF Harrier ground attack aircraft.

British defence sources admitted that while the Nato troops might not necessarily go hunting down Al-Qaeda or Taliban forces, a role American forces will retain, they will have to be “extremely robust”, particularly if they intend to destroy the poppy crop. Afghanistan grows more than 90% of the world’s production.

General Sir Mike Walker, chief of defence staff, said in a recent interview with The Sunday Times that eradicating the narcotics industry was by far the biggest problem the coalition faced.

“The truth of the matter is that until alternative livelihoods are available . . . you’re not going to make a great deal of progress,” Walker said.


Police seized two tons of opium loaded into five Toyota Land Cruisers after a gun battle with drug traffickers in southern Afghanistan that killed one policeman and wounded two others, officials said yesterday. A Portuguese peacekeeper was killed and three others wounded when their vehicle hit a landmine on a road near Kabul.


Additional reporting: Tim Albone, Kabul and Claudio Franco, eastern Afghanistan

   

GB from this passage...

"British forces were originally due to provide the vast bulk of the new force in southern Afghanistan. That fell apart when plans for an early withdrawal from Iraq were shelved, forcing the British to co-opt Australian and Canadian forces as well as the Dutch."

I got the meaning that the Dutch, Canadians and Aussies were called in to cover for British troops who could not be withdrawn from Iraq. Now the Dutch are bottling it. Nowhere in that article does it say that British troops HAD to replace Canadians

   

Yeah, Canada got rotated in, then out, then back in again. The British Army didn't have to replace the Canucks. And if I'm not mistaken Canada still has peacekeepers in the former Yugoslavia. We're doing what we can, considering we've had 30 years of defense cuts and have totally abandoned any notion of designing, developing and building our own ships, subs, planes and armoured vehicles.

And as a British Canadian (or Canadian Brit) whose Dad was Coldstream Guards, I can honestly say we can do way better.

   

must be going to afghanistan to rout out British terrorists.

More

Looks like the Brits will have a muslim flag over Downing soon.

Here's the report,4 pages of PDF files.
Leaked No 10 dossier

   

What a load of rubbish. Britain has the smallest Muslim population in Western Europe.

   

A comparison between the Dutch and British militaries.


Personnel
Britain: 111,780 + 40,000 TA
Netherlands: 52,000


Dutch Army
__________________
180 Leopard 2(I think they're all A5/A6)

194 CV-90-35(on order)
500+ Boxer(expected)
920 YPR-765
63 XA-188
404 Fennek(on order)
21 Fuchs

57 PzH 2000(on order still?)
120 M-109A3
100 M-114
22 MLRS



Dutch Air Force
__________________
80 F-35(expected)
136 F-16A/B

13 PC-7 Turbo

2 Fokker-50
4 Fokker-60
1 Gulfstream IV
2 KDC-10
2 C-130H

30 AH-64D
3 AB-412
4 Alouette III
13 CH-47D
17 AS-532

48 HAWKS
100 Patriot
? Stinger


Dutch Naval Force
__________________
4 De Zeven Provincien Destroyer's (6000 tons, Harpoon, 64 SM2/ESSM)

2 Kortenaer Frigate'S (3,786 tons, Harpoon, Sea Sparrow)
18 Karel Doorman (3,320 tons, Harpoon, sea sparrow VLS)

4 Walrus SSK (2800 tons, 20 MK48 torps/Harpoon)

12 Alkmaar Minehunters (20mm Machine Gun)

1 Rotterdam LPD (12,000 tons, 600 troops, 30 tanks or 160 APC)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------



British Army
__________________
386 Challenger 2
60 FV102 CVR (T) STRIKER (Anti Armour)

325 FV107 SCIMITAR (Recon)
136 Sabre (Recon)
575 Warrior (Infantry Fighting Vehicle)
1,100 AFV432 (APC)
640 AT105 SAXON (APC)
585 AFV103 SPARTAN (APC)
11 FUCHS (NBC)

179 AS90 Artillary
165 105mm Light Artillary
64 MLRS



Royal Air Force
__________________
16 Eurofighter Typhoon (Air Defence)
100 Tornado F3 (Air Defence)
49 Sea Harrier (Air Defence)

142 Tornado GR4 (Long Range Strike)
66 Jaguar GR3 (Medium Strike)
97 Harrier GR9 (Medium Strike)

176 Bae Hawk (Sidewinders/bombs/rockets)

18 Nimrod MR2 (Anti Surface / Submarine)
5 C-17 (Strategic Airlift)
56 C-130 (Transport)
25 Strategic Air Refuelers (Tristar/VC-10)

67 WAH-64 (Attack Helicopter)
108 Lynx AH9 (Anti Tank / Support)
22 EH-101 Merlin (transport)
45 Chinook (Heavy Transport)
41 Puma HC1 (transport)
44 EH-101 Merling (ASW)
44 Lynx (ASW/ASuW)
22 Sea King SAR (Search and Rescue)
133 Gazelle (Recon)

7 E-3D AWACS
12 Sea King ASaC (Royal Navy AEW Helicopters)
1 ASTOR (RAF JSTARS)
7 BN-2 Islander (CASTOR Battlefield Radar)

No medium or high altitude air defences
98 Rapier Low Level Air Defence (8 missiles on launcher)
135 Stormer Vehicles (8 cell Starstreak HVM launcher)
140 Shoulder Launched Starstreak HVM
330 Shoulder Launched Javelin

Royal Navy
__________________
3 Invincible Aircraft carriers (20,600 tons 12 Sea Harrier)
1 Ocean Assault Ship (21,768 tons, 12 Helo/Harrier, 830 troops, 40 APC)
1 RFA Argus (28,081 tons, 5 Sea Harrier) Aviation Support + Hospital Ship

4 Type 42 Batch 3 Destroyers (4,775 tons, 40 Sea Dart Anti Air)
4 Type 42 Batch 2 Destroyers (4,850 tons, 22 Sea Dart Anti Air)

16 Type 23 Frigates (4,200 tons, Harpoon, 32 Sea Wolf VLS)
4 Type 22 Frigates (4,850 tons, Harpoon, 72 Sea Wolf Launchers)
1 Type 22 Frigates (4,850 tons 72 Sea Wolf Launchers) + ELINT system

4 Vanguard SSBN (16,865 tons, 16 Tident ICBM, 20 Spearfish Torps)
7 Trafalgar SSN (5,208 tons, 30 Spearfish Torpedo/Harpoon/Tomahawk)
5 Swiftsure SSN (4,500 tons, 27 Spearfish Torpedo/Harpoon/TOmahawk)


3 River Patrol Ships (1,667 tons, 20mm MG)
4 Castle Patrol Ships (1,550 tons, 20mm MG) - provision for uparming
4 Hunt Patrol ships (30mm MG)

7 Hunt Mine countermeasures ships (30mm MG)
11 Sandown Minehunters (30mm MG)

2 Albion class LPD (19,560 tons, 710 troops, 3 Helicopters, 160 APC)
4 Bay class LPD (16,160 tons, 600 troops, 36 tanks/150 APC)
1 Sir Bedivere LSL (6,700 tons, 534 troops, 70 APC)
8 Sea Centurion RORO


I think it's a good idea for the Dutch to pull out. Their armed forces are too small and weak even to fight insurgents.

   

You mean the British one's?

Google Londonistan,see how many references there is to the Muslim flag being flown over Downing street.

   

Muslim populations

EDIT-in Western Europe only France and Germany have more than you.

   

wow... 2.7% of the population is muslim thats a truly impressive amount

   

If only Canada had built it's own stuff, it would probably be the best stuff around.

   

Only when they have so much influence.
"Londonistan"


Londonistan



or.

   

Great Briton puff's up his chest with all these valient deed's the Brits did,and with his hatred for Dutch,American,french,Italian and a whole host of other countries,funny he dont back some of the outlandish claims up with some facts........and when you dis Canada, remember that all the countries you have tried to claim the Brit's have saved......Most Canadians come from those countries and left for a reason.

Maybe you should read the 4 pdf files I posted,clean up your own backyard first dude before you start bragging about heroic's in Afghanistan by Brit's. Us Dutch arent stupid,clean up your own terrorists....you trained them,you deal with them.

If you even read the first of the 4 reports I posted you would know that Britian has a serious problem with the Muslim population and hasnt a clue on how to appease them.

   

Nice link,

There are even more muslims in britain than here;
Now i'm not afraid anymore