The ruling Christian Democrats are in favour of going along with NATO requests it extend and strengthen Dutch troop participation past its scheduled August pull-out, while its Labour Party coalition partner would not be moved.
The debate begun Thursday afternoon broke down in the early hours Saturday (local time).
Dutch on-line media,
NRC reports the government had asked NATO for an official request for the troop extension it had earlier requested, believing it was merely a formality signaling acquiescence. NRC describes the NATO reaction to today's turnaround as "flabbergasted."
Reuters reports, Labour Party deputy prime mininster Wouter Bos saying he would not stray from the scheduled departure of the 2000 strong Dutch contingent in Uruzgan province beginning in August. Bos insisted;
"The last Dutch soldier [will be] gone from Uruzgan by the end of the year."
The Dutch government did cede to a NATO request for an extension of its misison in Afghanistan in 2007, under the provision that the last of their soldiers would be out of the country by December 1st, 2010.
According to the Irish Times, Mr. Bos is making his stand against the unpopular war in hopes of boosting his party's chances in local elections, scheduled in just two weeks time.
Mr Balkenende is fresh from defending his Cabinet from a no confidence over the government's support of the US invasion of Iraq.
