NETHERLANDS/AFGHANISTAN: EIGHTY ADDITIONAL TROOPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 001810 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE, EUR/RPM, SCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO AF NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/AFGHANISTAN: EIGHTY ADDITIONAL TROOPS TO URUZGAN REF: THE HAGUE 1785 Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew Schofer, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (SBU) Finance Minister and Vice Prime Minister Wouter Bos announced September 28 that the Dutch Cabinet has decided to send an additional 80 troops to Afghanistan due to increased fighting near Deh Rawod in southwest Uruzgan province. The two platoons will deploy for Deh Rawod in a matter of days. ¶2. (C) Comment: The additional deployment comes as no surprise; the GONL's Afghanistan letter update to Parliament (reftel) earlier in the week noted that two platoons had been placed on "stand-by" status for possible deployment to Deh Rawod. The deployment demonstrates that the GONL remains committed to the current mission in Uruzgan. However, one should not read to much into the deployment regarding the on-going mission extension question -- it represents a temporary surge and Dutch troops will likely be drawn down to regular levels once the fighting in Deh Rawod subsides. Nor should one read too much into Bos making the Cabinet decision known to the public -- PM Balkenende and FM Verhagen are in New York, and Defense Minister van Middelkoop is currently in Portugal. End comment. Gallagher