Dutch Pullout From Afghanistan Leaves Some Nervous

(Aug. 1) -- Dutch troops ended their four-year mission in Afghanistan today, winning praise for pioneering one of the most effective strategies in the war against insurgents, and raising some concern about its possible effects on other NATO allies.

The pullout of its 1,950 troops is considered unlikely to make a significant military difference, but they leave behind what's become known as the "3D policy" -- defense, diplomacy and development -- that has become a model for other foreign contingents.

"Dutch forces have served with distinction in Uruzgan, and we honor their sacrifice and that of their Afghan counterparts during the Netherlands' tenure in the province," Maj. Joel Harper, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, said in a statement.

Twenty-four Dutch troops have been killed since 2006, including the 23-year-old son of their military leader, Gen. Peter van Uhm.

Under the 3D policy, Dutch troops built close contacts with local tribal leaders and concentrated on building developments programs while engaging in battles with the Taliban.

Although NATO officials played down the significance of the pullout, which was in line with a previously announced schedule, according to various media reports there is a sense that because of increasing casualties and doubts about the war's overall strategy it could lead other countries to reassess their commitments.

Because of the war's unpopularity, the Dutch coalition government collapsed when NATO asked the Netherlands to extend its mission in February. Public opposition to the war is also growing in Germany, although it has agreed to send in 500 more troops this year, making Germany the third-largest NATO contingent after the U.S. and U.K.

A NATO spokesman, German Army Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz, told reporters in Kabul today that the Dutch pullout did not reflect a weakening of the coalition, saying overall numbers were increasing.

But the increase is largely a result of an increase in U.S. troops, The Associated Press reported, which have taken over key areas from British and Canadian soldiers.

Canada is set to withdraw its 2,800 troops next year, Poland in 2012, and the U.S. is set to begin a withdrawal by 2011, although Defense Secretary Robert Gibbs said today that the initial pullout would be small.

"This is the start," an Afghan political analyst, Haroon Mir, told Agence France-Presse. "It's a chain -- the Dutch start to withdraw, followed by the Canadians, then the British by 2014. In the middle I think we will see a number of other NATO members... setting a timetable to leave."

As the focus of the war continues on efforts to hand over military responsibility to the Afghans, analysts told the BBC there was a growing feeling that countries might not withdraw ahead of time, but will be more inclined to stick to their scheduled pullouts.

The Dutch will be replaced by U.S. and Australian, Slovak and Singaporean soldiers.