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| Europe |
| Commandos depart for Afghan anti-terror mission |
| 2005-04-18 |
| AMSTERDAM — A hundred Dutch special operations soldiers were to depart from Eindhoven on Monday to take up duties in Afghanistan alongside US forces tracking terrorist operatives. Defence Minister Henk Kamp was scheduled to attend the ceremony at the city's airbase and give a short speech to the troops. The Netherlands is deploying 165 soldiers to the operation Enduring Freedom, which the US launched after the 11 September terrorist attacks in 2001. The Dutch commando unit will supply the largest number of troops, supplemented by special forces from the marine corps. The unit will be supported by 85 soldiers with the Chinook transport helicopter detachment. Besides combating al-Qaeda terrorists and Taleban renegades, the Dutch troops will monitor the security situation in the south and east of Afghanistan. The present objective of Enduring Freedom is to bring Afghanistan under the central authority of Kabul. Unrest continues in the south and east of the nation along the rugged border with Pakistan. ISAF stabilisation troops under Nato command are based in Kabul. The Dutch government already has an F-16 fighter jet squadron on peacekeeping duties in the Afghan capital. The Dutch government announced on 25 February it would deploy the troops in active anti-terror missions in Afghanistan and MPs approved the decision at the start of March. The mission has been given a minimal one-year approval. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Training and preping select cadre. Then they come home and go to work for real. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2005-04-18 4:04:25 PM |